Iberian Chivalric Romance: Translations and Cultural Transmission in Early Modern England

"The book offers an insightful approach to the different ways in which Iberian chivalric romances permeated English literature and culture for over a century and vindicates the relevance of these translations, especially those by Munday, to the study of English Renaissance literature."

David Arbesú, University of South Florida, Bulletin of Spanish Studies

“This book offers a much needed and long-awaited systematic exploration of a paramount literary genre of early modern fiction in England: Iberian chivalric romances. This collective volume sets the foundations of future research regarding the genre, as its chapters show manifold approaches to the subject, including literary, translation, gender, and cultural studies, as well as book and material history. These perspectives underscore the importance and complexity of Iberian chivalric romances in England. This book will prove useful to scholars working on Golden Age Iberian literature and Elizabethan and Jacobean English literature alike, whether they are interested in the Amadís and Palmerín cycle, the central role of Anthony Munday in the literary book market, or issues regarding rhetoric, gender, religion, or empire.” Daniel Gutiérrez Trápaga, Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

“This volume makes the case that Iberian romances were transformative and engaged, traveling across landscapes shaped by transnational traffic and the international book market, addressing the global transformation of the early modern world, reflecting on colonialism, clandestine marriage, and female sexuality, and carving out a space beyond state and family – a radicalism and interest poorly repaid by their place in university curricula and literary histories today. The uniformly high quality of this important and original collection will transform the field and place Iberian romance where it should be – at the heart of the story of early modern Europe’s literary culture.” Alexander Samson, Early Modern Studies, University College London