Medieval Marvels and Fictions in the Latin West and Islamic World
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Medieval Marvels and Fictions in the Latin West and Islamic World by Michelle Karnes
A cross-cultural study of magical phenomena in the Middle Ages. Marvels like enchanted rings and sorcerers’ stones were topics of fascination in the Middle Ages, not only in romance and travel literature but also in the period’s philosophical writing. Rather than constructions of belief accepted only by simple-minded people, Michelle Karnes shows that these spectacular wonders were near impossibilities that demanded scrutiny and investigation. This is the first book to analyze a diverse set of writings on such wonders, comparing texts from the Latin West—including those written in English, French, Italian, and Castilian Spanish —with those written in Arabic as it works toward a unifying theory of marvels across different disciplines and cultures. Karnes tells a story about the parallels between Arabic and Latin thought, reminding us that experiences of the strange and the unfamiliar travel across a range of genres, spanning geographical and conceptual space and offering an ideal vantage point from which to understand intercultural exchange. Karnes traverses this diverse archive, showing how imagination imbues marvels with their character and power, making them at once enigmatic, creative, and resonant. Skirting the distinction between the real and unreal, these marvels challenge readers to discover the highest capabilities of both nature and the human intellect. Karnes offers a rare comparative perspective and a new methodology to study a topic long recognized as central to medieval culture.
"An adventurous comparative study of Christian and Islamic culture from the seventh to the fourteenth centuries, with forays into later works such as Don Quixote[Karnes] looks at natural philosophy and optics, cognitive theories, travel literature and wonder tales, seeing in these varied disciplines a common thread of intellectual curiosity." * New York Review of Books *
"Any reader opening a book on marvels might reasonably hope to feel wonder and amazement at the treasures inside. Like the medieval authorities whom she analyzes, Karnes's argument manages to not only demystify but to increase interest in marvels." * Studies in the Age of Chaucer *
“Few scholars of medieval Europe have sought to put the body of writings on marvels produced in the Latin West in dialogue with currents in Arabic letters. Karnes navigates this terrain with sophistication and erudition. The breadth is stunning, and the comfort and ease that Karnes exhibits throughout a broad swath of intellectual endeavors are truly remarkable. This will be a vital work for students and scholars of intellectual history for years to come. We need more scholarship just like this: willing to take risks, to explore distant terrain, and to open new conversations.” -- Travis Zadeh, Yale University
“This is an excellent and refreshingly new account of the marvelous in medieval cultures. Karnes approaches marvels as a philosophical problem. Whether natural or invented, a marvel arouses wonder because of its liminal status as a rare, implausible, yet not impossible event or object. A particular strength is that Karnes goes beyond treating Arabic philosophy and literature as ‘influences’ on the West and works directly with the Arabic sources.” -- Barbara Newman, Northwestern University
"Any reader opening a book on marvels might reasonably hope to feel wonder and amazement at the treasures inside. Like the medieval authorities whom she analyzes, Karnes's argument manages to not only demystify but to increase interest in marvels." * Studies in the Age of Chaucer *
“Few scholars of medieval Europe have sought to put the body of writings on marvels produced in the Latin West in dialogue with currents in Arabic letters. Karnes navigates this terrain with sophistication and erudition. The breadth is stunning, and the comfort and ease that Karnes exhibits throughout a broad swath of intellectual endeavors are truly remarkable. This will be a vital work for students and scholars of intellectual history for years to come. We need more scholarship just like this: willing to take risks, to explore distant terrain, and to open new conversations.” -- Travis Zadeh, Yale University
“This is an excellent and refreshingly new account of the marvelous in medieval cultures. Karnes approaches marvels as a philosophical problem. Whether natural or invented, a marvel arouses wonder because of its liminal status as a rare, implausible, yet not impossible event or object. A particular strength is that Karnes goes beyond treating Arabic philosophy and literature as ‘influences’ on the West and works directly with the Arabic sources.” -- Barbara Newman, Northwestern University
Michelle Karnes is professor of English and the history of philosophy and science at the University of Notre Dame. She is the author of Imagination, Meditation, and Cognition in the Middle Ages and is editor of Studies in the Age of Chaucer.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780226819754 |
| ISBN 10 | 0226819752 |
| Title | Medieval Marvels and Fictions in the Latin West and Islamic World |
| Author | Michelle Karnes |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | The University of Chicago Press |
| Year published | 2022-07-12 |
| Number of pages | 272 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |