A Medieval Miscellany

Rating:
Summary: A medieval miscellany
Review: A beautifully presented book. As a calligrapher I found it an excellent resource for both medieval quotes and illustrations. The layout makes it a very appealling book just to be able to dip into. The quotes cover a range of topics from the amusing to grotesque and give an insight into medieval life.

Rating:
Summary: Not for everyone, but great for those interested in history
Review: This book is great in that you get to see medieval life through the eyes of those who were there as the entries are all taken from actual texts of the time. Each entry is one to two pages long, so this is a good book to read a little bit at a time (it gets tedious if you try to read it straight through all at once).

The illustrations are wonderful, in color, and on every page. However, they don't necessarily relate to the text on that page, so it's better to read through the book, then go through it again and look at the illustrations separately.

The book is also quite beautiful, with a full color picture on the actual book cover (underneath the protective paper cover) and a ribbon attached to the binding to keep your place. The illustrations, beauty, and first rate construction of this book in themselves justify the price of the book (I'm surprised they don't charge more).

The "Complaint of Virgins" entry in the editorial review is actually about a girl who is the youngest in an impoverished family and does not have a dowry and therefore will likely never be able to marry.

I bought this book because I am becoming involved in a medieval reenactment group and I wanted to get a feel for what life was like in those times. I gave this book a 3-star rating based on its mass appeal - it will not appeal to everyone. If you're looking for light entertainment and amusing anecdotes, this book is not for you. You will probably find most of the entries a bit on the dull side unless you're into the history of the time period. But, if you are looking for something that will give you insight into the culture and customs of medieval europe, then you will enjoy this book.