Overview

Over the last twenty-five years, the 'history of emotion' field has become one of the most dynamic and productive areas for humanities research. This designation, and the marked leadership of historians in the field, has had the unlooked-for consequence of sidelining literature - in particular secular literature - as evidence-source and object of emotion study. Secular literature, whether fable, novel, fantasy or romance, has been understood as prone to exaggeration, hyperbole, and thus as an unreliable indicator of the emotions of the past. The aim of this book is to decentre history of emotion research and asks new questions, ones that can be answered by literary scholars, using literary texts as sources: how do literary texts understand and depict emotion and, crucially, how do they generate emotion in their audiences - those who read them or hear them read or performed?

Full Product Details

9781526195845

Table of Contents

Reviews

'This book is warmly recommended to anyone interested in the periodization of English literature, audience response and subjectivity and the emergence of the individual, as well as the study of emotions in literature.' —The Medieval Review ‘This is a truly accomplished book: a landmark study in a crowded field.’ —Stephanie Trigg, University of Melbourne ‘The study of medieval emotions is a garden that continues to bloom lavishly, but it also bristles with theoretical concepts. Armed with Carolyne Larrington’s new book, as with a stout pair of secateurs, the reader will find that the thistles can be plucked with the flowers. It is difficult to do justice to the many observations and ideas offered in this book.’ —Alice Jorgensen, Trinity College, Dublin -- .

'This book is warmly recommended to anyone interested in the periodization of English literature, audience response and subjectivity and the emergence of the individual, as well as the study of emotions in literature.' The Medieval Review -- .

Author Information

Carolyne Larrington is Emerita Professor of Medieval European Literature at the University of Oxford and Emerita Research Fellow at St John's College, Oxford

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