Abstract
As Derek Pearsall reminds the reader in his Foreword, this substantial volume of 13 original essays builds on the work of scholars like Pearsall, M. B. Parkes and Elizabeth Salter to bring a new and coherent set of perspectives on book manufacture and cultures of vernacular literacy in a period that saw a burgeoning of textual production. In their Introduction, Gillespie and Wakelin situate the work of the collection within broader contexts, drawing out the major themes of the contributions in the volume—on the materials and methods of creating books; on the organization and economics of book production; and on patterns that emerge, even while idiosyncracy and improvisation often held sway. And while the chronological remit is specifically designed to demand an engagement with the period’s major named authors (Chaucer, Lydgate, Hoccleve, Rolle, etc.) and conclude with the emergence of print, the best essays are sensitive to the wider medieval background, recognizing that many of the characteristics of manuscript culture at work here are first seen as early as the eleventh or twelfth centuries.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
