Women Writers of the Middle Ages: A Critical Study of Texts from Perpetua ((Dagger) 203) to Marguerite Porete ((Dagger) 1310)

By Peter Dronke

Book Overview

This book gives a detailed picture of the contributions made by women writers to Western literature from the third century to the thirteenth. Many of the texts Peter Dronke presents and interprets have hitherto remained unknown, or virtually inaccessible; some have never been edited or translated before. The emphasis throughout is on personal testimonies, and on texts that have notable literary or intellectual interest. Thus the book affords many new insights into medieval literature, not only into the writings of renowned women such as Hrotsvitha or Heloise, but also into those of a number of neglected writers who are exceptional in their gifts and individuality. Already highly influential, Women Writers of the Middle Ages continues to be essential reading for specialists and students alike in medieval literature, medieval intellectual history, and women's studies.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521275733
• ISBN13: 9780521275736
• Release Date: May 1984
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.9" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A Wonderful Resource

I checked this book out to use as a resource for a paper I was doing on St. Perpetua. I ended up reading more from the other chapters than the one I was supposed to be studying. This book has a wealth of information about many notable Medieval women. The chapter on Hildegard von Bingen and Marguerite Porete are of especial interest. There are also original Latin and French texts included for those who enjoy using primary sources.