Reconstructing Camelot: French Romantic Medievalism and the Arthurian Tradition by Michael Glencross
Jeremy duQuesnay Adams
REVIEWS109 and epilogue do advance '"the concept of a standard authentic text," an issue concern to Renaissance humanists interested in preserving the "English Homer"' (p. 74). Chaucer receives most attention (five essays) Festschrift, but essays break no new ground. Gregory K. Jember's 'Confessions English Storyteller: The Canterbury Tales, ' begins with consideration ofthe Middle verb confessen both its 'ecclesiastical/penitential' 'laic/common' meanings examines acts confession Miller, Canon's Yeoman, Pardoner, Chaucer's Retraction. intetesting conclusion, that 'Confession becomes. . .a positive celebration modern, humanistic self can hardly be proven twelve-page essay. Because Jember does not define terms 'modern' 'humanistic,' I was left wondering whether he locating confessional tendency early modern/Humanist movement sixteenth-century or our own times. In contrast over-reaching, Yoshiyuki Nakao his 'SocialLinguistic Tension as Evidenced by Moot/Moste Troilus Criseyde,' reaches too limited conclusion: poet 'perhaps pushed ME moot/moste toward functions ModE' 31). Masahjko Kanno's 'Chaucer's Conception Originality' surveys medieval ideas invention auctoritas at rather introductory level. As read this collection, had distinct recurring feeling these authors were working without access latest books journals field. (On other hand, very few North American scholars check into Japanese such Poetica before we publish.) Nonetheless, several struck me removed from current scholarly debate. For example, Akiyuki Jimura's essay is interim report on comprehensive textual comparison Blake's Robinson's editions which are based respectively Hengwrt Ellesmere Manuscripts. Since Benson's Riverside replaced edition 1987, it clear why Benson 'will dealt future study' 35) fact still need consider Robinson. Essays Literature Language pleasant, none them show incisiveness Noguchi's work. Several seem pedestrian comparison. Still am grateful attend so closely literal linguistic level text. profession given abstraction theory, colleagues friends ofShun'ichi Noguchi commended for reading texts carefully thus keeping rest us grounded. KAREN CHEREWATUK St. Olaf College Michael GLENCROSS, Reconstructing Camelot: French Romantic Medievalism Arthurian Tradition. Studies 36. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1995. Pp. x, 192. issn: 0261-9814. $53. authot regretfully admits, 'the place occupied corpus Romanticism may surprisingly disappointingly marginal.' Despite perception, Glencross offers contempotary reader HOARTHURIANA careful analysis resonance ofArthurian material public during half-century between 1812 (the first Crcuzé de Lesser's Les chevaliers la table rondé) i860 appearance Edgar Quinet's Merlin l'enchanteur). His argument essentially discovery, criticism, diffusion general integral development ofFrench medievalism period (roughly 1800—1860), even though literature distinctly less important imagination than Carolingian epic cycle troubadour lyricism. This careful, indeed painstaking study consists ofsix chapters, somewhat diverse style uneven interest Anglophone specialist. Chapter 1, 'The Ideological Background' (pp. 1—26), well described chapter sub-title, 'Chivalry, Feudalism Romance Literary Critical Historical Discourse Restoration.' sets up neat quadrilateral liberal historians Guizot Sismonde Sismondi (Swiss, influential thought because huge Histoire des Français—31 volumes 1821 1844—as widely De L· littératuredu...
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