This revised and updated edition offers a fresh perspective on a significant scholarly work, enhancing its relevance and depth. It incorporates new research and insights, making it an essential resource for both students and professionals in the field. The updates aim to reflect the latest developments and discussions, ensuring readers have access to the most current information and interpretations.
The Book of Memory is a magisterial and beautifully illustrated account of the workings and function of memory in medieval society. Memory was the psychological faculty valued above all others in the period stretching from late antiquity through the Renaissance. The prominence given to memory has profound implications for the contemporary understanding of all creative activity, and the social role of literature and art. Drawing on a range of fascinating examples from Dante, Chaucer, and Aquinas to the symbolism of illuminated manuscripts, this unusually wide-ranging book offers new insights into the medieval world.