Literature as Recreation in the Later Middle Ages Glending Olson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Olson, Glending.

Contributor:

National Endowment for the Humanities Open Book Program, funder.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Books and reading--Europe--History--To 1500.

Books and reading.

Literature, Medieval--History and criticism.

Literature, Medieval.

Amusements--Europe--History--To 1500.

Amusements.

Literature and society--Europe--History--To 1500.

Literature and society.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (245 p. )

Place of Publication:

Cornell University Press 2019

Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 1982.

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

This book studies attitudes toward secular literature during the later Middle Ages. Exploring two related medieval justifications of literary pleasure-one finding hygienic or therapeutic value in entertainment, and another stressing the psychological and ethical rewards of taking time out from work in order to refresh oneself-Glending Olson reveals that, contrary to much recent opinion, many medieval writers and thinkers accepted delight and enjoyment as valid goals of literature without always demanding moral profit as well.Drawing on a vast amount of primary material, including contemporary medical manuscripts and printed texts, Olson discusses theatrics, humanist literary criticism, prologues to romances and fabliaux, and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. He offers an extended examination of the framing story of Boccaccio's Decameron. Although intended principally as a contribution to the history of medieval literary theory and criticism, Literature as Recreation in the Later Middle Ages makes use of medical, psychological, and sociological insights that lead to a fuller understanding of late medieval secular culture.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Abbreviations

1. Medieval Attitudes toward Literary Pleasure

2. The Hygienic Justification

3. The Recreational Justification

4. Some Literature for Solace

5. From Plague to Pleasure

6. The Decameron and Its Early Critics

Index of Sources

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

This eBook is made available Open Access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 https://www.degruyter.com/dg/page/open-access-policy

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781501746741

150174674X

9781501746758

1501746758

OCLC:

1122607066