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Objects of Affection

The Book and the Household in Late Medieval England
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Objects of Affection explores the emotional and material connections fostered by a fifteenth-century manuscript, Oxford, Bodleian Library Manuscript Ashmole 61. It delves into how the book's human and nonhuman elements interact with readers across time, revealing the manuscript's role in shaping the spiritual and social lives of its late-medieval English household.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$6499
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Ideal for scholars and readers interested in medieval studies, manuscript culture, literary theory, and the interplay of material and emotional histories within the arts and culture sphere.

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This study investigates the affective agency of the book, through the emotional literacy training that a single codex provided a late-medieval English household. It demonstrates how MS Ashmole 61 affirms both the physical and moral agency of nonhumans, who fashion spiritually generous and socially mindful human household members.

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

Objects of Affection recovers the emotional attraction of the medieval book through an engagement with a fifteenth-century literary collection known as Oxford, Bodleian Library Manuscript Ashmole 61.

Exploring how the inhabitants of the book's pages—human and nonhuman, tangible and intangible—collaborate with its readers then and now, this book addresses the manuscript's material appeal in the ways it binds itself to different cultural, historical, and material environments. In doing so, it traces the affective literacy training that the manuscript provided its late-medieval English household, whose diverse inhabitants are incorporated into the ecology of the book itself as it fashions spiritually generous and socially mindful household members.

Series: Manchester Medieval Literature and Culture

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  • Objects of Affection
    Objects of Affection recovers the emotional attraction of the medieval book through an engagement with a fifteenth-century literary collection known as Oxford, Bodleian Library Manuscript Ashmole 61. Exploring how the inhabitants of the book's pages—human and nonhuman, tangible and intangible—collaborate with its readers then and now, this book addresses the manuscript's material appeal in the ways it binds itself to...
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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?

Praised for its innovative blend of codicology and theory, the book challenges traditional manuscript studies, inviting readers to expand their perspectives. Described as a passionate and invigorating study, it offers valuable insights for those interested in medieval households and the cultural significance of their objects, especially manuscripts like Ashmole 61.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781526167187

Publisher: Manchester University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 17 January 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Manchester University Press

Illustration: 5 black & white illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 349g

Pages: 296

About the Author

Myra Seaman is Professor of English at the College of Charleston

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