During Shakespeare's lifetime, John Lyly was repeatedly described as the central figure in contemporary English literature. This book takes that claim seriously, asking how and why Lyly was considered the most important writer of his time. It demonstrates his decisive role in creating a market for cheap, short forms of literature, reinventing the prose sentence and thereby becoming a litmus test for literary excellence.
The book traces Lyly's work in prose fiction and the theatre, demonstrating previously unrecognised connections between these two forms of entertainment. Having...