A story that follows a simple trajectory is seldom worth telling. But the unexpected overturning of narrative progress creates complexity and interest, directing the reader's attention to the most pow
This book examines how epic poetry reflects cultural values, and how, in epic poems, the heroes must meet supernatural beings to find answers to essential questions. It begins with three chapters on a
Shakespeare's plays comprise a rich source of genre variation as well as moral or ethical issues that invite deep study. How we consider the plays determine the choices actors and directors make in pr
Exploring some of the ideas and values underlying the fantasy fiction by J. R. R. Tolkien, Risden discusses Tolkien as scholar, narrator, stylist; heart of darkness, heart of light: externalizing the
"This book explores the growing list of films based on or inspired by the Old English epic poem Beowulf, and thus joins the ongoing consideration of film medievalism. The films measure the pulse of ho
This collection of essays analyzes film representations of the Crusades, other medieval East/West encounters, and the modern inheritance of encounters between orientalist fantasy and apocalyptic cons
