The Ancient Romances: A Literary-Historical Account of Their Origins

This title delves into the origins and development of ancient romance literature, expanding upon a series of lectures given by Ben Edwin Perry at the University of California in 1951. This scholarly work examines the romance genre's historical foundations and explores two main branches: the ideal romance of love and adventure and the "comic" romance, a form characterized by satire, mockery, and picaresque elements. In Part I, Perry addresses the "ideal romance," a popular form among the mas...