The Palgrave Literary Dictionary of Chaucer is the first volume in a new series of Palgrave Literary Dictionaries which aim to provide a convenient source of reliable, scholarly, accessible, and up to date information on the work, life and times of a range of major authors of literature written in the English language. They are intended for students, graduate students, teachers, scholars and “advanced general readers”. In this volume there are some 720 entries arranged under headwords in alphabetical order which include accounts of each of Chaucer's works; major fictional characters in these works; writers who influenced Chaucer or who were influenced by him; people and places of significance in Chaucer's life and works; relevant genres and literary traditions; the most significant manuscripts and editions; the most distinguished scholars and editors; and historical, social, and political contexts.
Chaucer, like Milton and Shakespeare, is one those giants of literature that students, the public, and librarians even, can be in awe of and nervous of approaching. So much has been written about them that the size of the corpus intimidates; how can one possibly get anywhere close to the authentic author? Answer: by using this book! The headwords are clearly identified and well chosen and the pages are free from the clutter and gimmicks such as panels, coloured type and students' aids that so often mar other dictionaries. The text is lucid and straightforward. Page and line references are made to The Riverside Chaucer but should allow the reader to locate the relevant passage in other good editions. Translations of the titles in Latin are provided. A total of 96 titles to Chaucer are identified but the necessary abbreviations are not a problem.
Entries start with a definition. This is a helpful saving of time for the user, especially if the whole article is not needed – a tip that could usefully be used by other publishers! The articles range from a dozen or so words to 3,000 depending on importance. There are plentiful allusions to Chaucer's works and cross‐referencing is thorough with nearly 300 headwords serving as cross‐references and asterisks within entries to indicate related material elsewhere in the volume. There is a select bibliography with some further reading suggestions appended to the longer entries, and a chronology of Chaucer's life and times.
The range of topics is indicated above. From “L” there are headword references from Lachesis; Ladies Book of XXV; Lancaster, Duchess of; Lancaster, Duke of; Lettoir; and Lille, Alan of. Short entries include those for Lamech, the Old Testament bigamist who turns up in three of Chaucer's works; Lancelot, the Arthurian Knight; William Langland, and lechery. Works of Chaucer include Lak of Stedfastnesse, a moral lyric of 28 lines which survives in 15 copies; The Legend of Good Women, whose entry is given three pages; and Lenvoy de Chaucer a Bukton, a verse epistle to a friend. The Wife of Bath, The Miller's Tale, and other favourites are here of course, plus the Chaucer Society and its Victorian founders, Chaucer scholars Frederick Furnival, Skeet, Bradshaw and others. The work's complier is Professor of English Language and Literature at Queen's University Belfast and is a leading authority on Chaucer's works.
In the Series Editor's Foreword, Professor Andrew hopes “that volumes in this series will be judged by their effectiveness in providing quick, clear and convenient access to reliable and scholarly information”. (Such an excellent sentiment could be adopted by reference librarians everywhere!) This volume does all this and is clearly essential stock for any library serving students and scholars of English literature and “advanced general readers”. Browsing through this dictionary has been an enjoyable experience and has re‐awakened my interest in Chaucer. Reviewing a work on Milton recently caused me to buy Milton's works; now I must get some Chaucer!
