Penguin Classics have built their reputation as one of the largest and most successful modern imprints for 'classic' texts on the notion of 'the general reader'. Following an interrogation of this idea, Leah Tether investigates the publication of medieval French literature on this list and shines a light on the drivers, motivations, negotiations and decision-making processes behind it. Focusing on the medieval French texts published between c.1956 and 2000, Tether demonstrates that, rather than Penguin's frequently cited 'general reader', a more academic market may have contributed to ensuring the success of these titles.

The General Reader and the Academy: Medieval French Literature and Penguin Classics (Elements in Publishing and Book Culture)

Literature & Fiction

Tether, Leah

History & Criticism

Cambridge University Press

The Bristol Merlin: Revealing the Secrets of a Medieval Fragment (Medieval Media and Culture)

The discovery of seven manuscript fragments of the Old French Suite Vulgate du Merlin in a set of early printed books in the Bristol Central Library hit global headlines in 2019. This book contains a comprehensive study of these fascinating Arthurian fragments. Beginning with an extensive contextual history, the authors reveal details of the fragments' origin, their importation to England, and their subsequent journey to a waste pile in a bookbinder's workshop, where they would be incorporated into the bindings of a four-volume edition of the works of Jean Gerson in the early sixteenth century. A full enquiry into the provenance of these host volumes sets out the possible routes from the bookbinder's workshop to their final home in Bristol Central Library. Using multi-spectral imaging to read the damaged sections of text, the authors also provide a full edition and translation of the narrative contained in the fragments.

Pohl, Benjamin

Chuhan Campbell, Laura

Reference

Arc Humanities Press

The notion of Continuation in medieval literature is a familiar one - but difficult to define precisely. Despite the existence of important texts which are commonly referred to as Continuations, such as Le Roman de la Rose, Le Chevalier de la Charrette and, of course, the Perceval Continuations, the mechanics and processes involved in actually producing a Continuation have found themselves indistinguishable from those associated with other forms of medieval réécriture. The Perceval Continuations (composed c.1200-1230) constitute a vast body of material which incorporates four separately authored Continuations, each of which seeks to further, in some way, the unfinished Perceval of Chrétien de Troyes - though they are not merely responses to his work. Chronologically, they were composed one after the other, and the next in line picks up where the previous one left off; they thus respond intertextually to each other as well as to Chrétien, and only one actually furnishes the story as a whole with an ending. Here, these fascinating texts are used as a lens for examining, defining and distinguishing the whole concept of a Continuation; the author also employs theories as to what constitutes an "end" and what is "unfinished", alongside scrutiny of other medieval "ends" and Continuations. Dr Leah Tether is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Cultures of the Digital Economy Institute, Anglia Ruskin University. Table of Contents Introduction Authorial Changeovers in the Manuscripts Distinguishing Continuations, Sequels and Ends The First Continuation and Prolongation The Second Continuation and the Imitative Mode The Gerbert and Manessier Continuations: Interpolation vs. Conclusion Conclusion Appendix I: Keys to the Tables Appendix II: Table 1 - Contents of the Manuscript Appendix III: Table 2 - Changeovers Shown by the Manuscripts Appendix IV: Listing of the Episodes in the Continuations Appendix V: Plot Summary of Chrétien's Perceval Appendix VI: Plot Summary of Section I, Episode 1-5: First Continuation Appendix VII: Plot Summary of the First Continuation's Carados Section Appendix VIII: Transcription of the Independent Conclusion Bibliography

The Continuations of Chrétien's Perceval: Content and Construction, Extension and Ending (Arthurian Studies)

D.S.Brewer

Handbook of Arthurian Romance: King Arthur's Court in Medieval European Literature (De Gruyter Reference)

Arthurian romance as a genre pervades all European vernaculars as well as the Latin tradition. This handbook aims to demonstrate just how European the genre of Arthurian romance truly is. By discussing exemplary primary texts from different vernaculars and the Latin tradition, and recent theoretical concepts and approaches that guide our interpretations of these works, the similarities and intersections in different philologies become clear.

McFadyen, Johnny

de Gruyter

Jane H. M. Taylor is one of the world's foremost scholars of rewriting or réécriture. Her focus has been on literature in medieval and Renaissance France, but rewriting, including continuation, translation, and adaptation, lies at the heart of literary traditions in all vernaculars. This book explores both the interdisciplinarity of rewriting and Taylor's remarkable contribution to its study. The rewriting and reinterpretation of narratives across chronological, social and/or linguistic boundaries represents not only a crucial feature of text transmission, but also a locus of cultural exchange. Taylor has shown that the adaptation of material to conform to the expectations, values, or literary tastes of a different audience can reveal important information regarding the acculturation and reception of medieval texts. In recent years, numerous scholars across disciplines have thus turned to this field of enquiry. This collection of studies dedicated to the rewriting of medieval French literature from the twelfth to the twenty-first centuries by Taylor's friends, colleagues, and former students offers not only a fitting tribute to Taylor's career, but also a timely consolidation of the very latest research in the field, which will be vital for all scholars of medieval rewriting. With contributions from Jessica Taylor, Keith Busby, Leah Tether, Logan E. Whalen, Mireille Séguy, Christine Ferlampin-Acher, Ad Putter, Anne Salamon, Patrick Moran, Nathalie Koble, Bart Besamusca, Frank Brandsma, Richard Trachsler, Carol J. Chase, Maria Colombo Timelli, Laura Chuhan Campbell, Joan Tasker-Grimbert, Jean-Claude Mühlethaler, Michelle Szkilnik, Thomas Hinton, Elizabeth Archibald.

Rewriting Medieval French Literature: Studies in Honour of Jane H. M. Taylor

Busby, Keith

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Books by Tether, Leah

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Tether, Leah. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The General Reader and the Academy: Medieval French Literature and Penguin Classics (Elements in Publishing and Book Culture)

The Bristol Merlin: Revealing the Secrets of a Medieval Fragment (Medieval Media and Culture)

The Bristol Merlin: Revealing the Secrets of a Medieval Fragment (Medieval Media and Culture)

The Continuations of Chrétien's Perceval: Content and Construction, Extension and Ending (Arthurian Studies)

Handbook of Arthurian Romance: King Arthur's Court in Medieval European Literature (De Gruyter Reference)

Rewriting Medieval French Literature: Studies in Honour of Jane H. M. Taylor