The Book of Margery Kempe

ISBN-13: 9780199686643 / Angielski / Miękka / 2015 / 336 str.

Margery Kempe

Opis

"Alas that I ever did sin It is so merry in Heaven "
The Book of Margery Kempe (c. 1436-8) is the extraordinary account of a medieval wife, mother, and mystic. Known as the earliest autobiography written in the English language, Kempe's Book describes the dramatic transformation of its heroine from failed businesswoman and lustful young wife, to devout and chaste pilgrim. She vividly describes her prayers and visions, as well as the temptations in daily life to which she succumbed before dedicating herself to her spiritual calling. She travelled to the most holy sites of the medieval world, including Rome and Jerusalem.
In her life and her boisterous devotion, Kempe antagonized many of those around her; yet she also garnered friends and supporters who helped to record her experiences. Her Book opens a window to the medieval world, and provides a fascinating portrait of one woman's life, aspirations, and prayers. This new translation preserves the forceful narrative voice of Kempe's Book and includes a wide-ranging introduction and useful notes.
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Recenzje

Bale's Book of Margery Kempe offers the best modern version of the text and the most comprehensive and judicious assessment of scholarly and critical environments in which to read this strange and wondrous work... Bale sensitively reviews all the textual, critical and ideological challenges of the work. His modern English is supple and responsive. Times Literary Supplement, Seth Lerer

O autorze

Anthony Bale studied at the universities of Oxford and York and at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has published widely on various medieval topics, including Christian-Jewish relations, the poetry of Chaucer and Lydgate, religion in East Anglia, and fifteenth-century literature and pilgrimage. He is the editor of Mandeville's Book of Marvels and Travels in OWC, and in 2011 was awarded the Philip Leverhulme Prize.