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Castiglione's Allegory
Veiled Policy in The Book of the Courtier (1528)
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Castiglione's Allegory
$35300
Unit price
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Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This book suits scholars, students, and readers interested in Renaissance literature, political allegory, and historical reinterpretation, particularly those seeking deeper insight into Castiglione’s classic beyond typical courtly or postmodern readings.
Approaching The Book of the Courtier as an early modern reader would have, author W.R. Albury explores aspects of the work which he argues are intentionally concealed and veiled in allegory. In this reading, Albury recovers a serious political message which he shows has a great deal of contemporary relevance, and which is lost from sight when the work is approached from other perspectives.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier (Il libro del cortegiano, 1528), a dialogue in which the interlocutors attempt to describe the perfect courtier, was one of the most influential books of the Renaissance.
In recent decades, a number of postmodern readings of this work have appeared, emphasising what is often characterised as the playful indeterminacy of the text, and seeking to detect inconsistencies which are interpreted as signs of anxiety or bad faith in its presentation.
In contrast to these postmodern readings, the present study conducts an experiment. What understanding does one gain of Castiglione’s book if one attempts an early modern reading?
The author approaches The Book of the Courtier as a text in which some of its most important aspects are intentionally concealed and veiled in allegory. W.R. Albury argues that this early modern reading of The Book of the Courtier enables us to recover a serious political message which has a great deal of contemporary relevance and which is lost from sight when the work is approached primarily as a courtly etiquette book, or as a lament for the lost influence of the aristocracy in an age when autocratic nation-states were coming into being, or as an impersonal textual field upon which a free play of transformations and deconstructions may be performed.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Jo Ann Cavallo praises the book as "an important new reading" that fits together "like pieces of a puzzle," enriched by diverse historical and cultural contexts, making it "a sheer joy to read." Philip Attwood highlights the rigorous examination of Castiglione's medal and impresa, calling the final chapter "thoughtful and thought-provoking."
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781472432636
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 18 July 2014
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Routledge
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Width: 156.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 680g
Pages: 290
About the Author
Emeritus Professor W.R. Albury is currently Adjunct Professor in the School of Humanities at the University of New England, Armidale NSW, Australia.
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