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The Danger of Romance
Truth, Fantasy, and Arthurian Fictions
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The Danger of Romance
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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 is ideal for readers interested in literary studies, particularly those fascinated by medieval literature, fantasy genres, and cultural critique. It will also appeal to fans of Arthurian legends and contemporary fantasy who seek a deeper understanding of the significance behind romantic narratives.
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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
The curious paradox of romance is that, throughout its history, this genre has been dismissed as trivial and unintellectual, yet people have never ceased to flock to it with enthusiasm and even fervor. In contemporary contexts, we devour popular romance and fantasy novels like The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones, reference them in conversations, and create online communities to expound, passionately and intelligently, upon their characters and worlds. But romance is “unrealistic,” critics say, doing readers a disservice by not accurately representing human experiences. It is considered by some to be a distraction from real literature, a distraction from real life, and little more.
Yet is it possible that romance is expressing a truth—and a truth unrecognized by realist genres? The Arthurian literature of the Middle Ages, Karen Sullivan argues, consistently ventriloquizes in its pages the criticisms that were being made of romance at the time, and implicitly defends itself against those criticisms. The Danger of Romance shows that the conviction that ordinary reality is the only reality is itself an assumption, and one that can blind those who hold it to the extraordinary phenomena that exist around them. It demonstrates that that which is rare, ephemeral, and inexplicable is no less real than that which is commonplace, long-lasting, and easily accounted for. If romance continues to appeal to audiences today, whether in its Arthurian prototype or in its more recent incarnations, it is because it confirms the perception—or even the hope—of a beauty and truth in the world that realist genres deny.
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 nuanced approach, The Danger of Romance offers an in-depth survey of Arthurian romance's complex relationship with truth and fantasy. Reviews highlight Sullivan's philosophical precision and her ability to provoke debate about romance’s role from medieval texts to contemporary works like those of J.K. Rowling. The book is commended for shifting focus from mere historicity to the pleasures and experiences romance enables.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780226540269
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 07 March 2018
Country: United States
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 2.0mm
Width: 17.0mm
Height: 22.0mm
Weight: 454g
Pages: 336
About the Author
Karen Sullivan is the Irma Brandeis Professor of Romance Culture and Literature at Bard College. She is the author of three other books, most recently, The Inner Lives of Medieval Inquisitors.
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