Humor in British Literature, From the Middle Ages to the Restoration: A Reference Guide FROM THE PUBLISHER
Humor began in British literature during the Middle Ages, when Chaucer developed the storytelling tradition along with the ironies that resulted from the juxtaposition of people from different classes and points of view. This book overviews scholarship on humor in British literature from its medieval origins through the seventeenth century. Chapters are devoted to particular centuries, with authors listed individually within each chapter. Each entry discusses the role of humor in the author's work and includes a bibliography.
SYNOPSIS
An overview of scholarship on humor in British literature from the Middle Ages to the Restoration.
FROM THE CRITICS
Booknews
Describes and assesses works that in their own time were considered,
or intended to fall into genres called humor, wit, and comedy, and
notes how the boundaries and characteristics of those genres have
changed over the ages. Both the chapters and the arrangement of
authors within them are chronological. The entries, ranging from a
few paragraphs to several pages, quote liberally from critical
scholarship and include secondary but not primary bibliographies.
Each chapter includes an introductory essay, a list of relevant
monarchs, and a bibliography for the period as a whole. Indexed by
subject and author.
Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
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