Medieval Literature and the Review Essay

Abstract

This is a reflection on some of the ways in which book reviewing might inform and enrich the study of medieval literature. Looking to my own experiences as a medievalist who also writes and edits general-audience review essays, I begin by considering the particular mode of reading it encourages, and then explore what that mode might offer us as scholars. I argue against the idea that non-academic reviewing promotes a superficial or derivative engagement with the books in question, and suggest instead that it demands an evaluative and instinct-led—but deeply serious—kind of reading. Showing how reviewing has prompted me to rethink a number of canonical medieval texts, I make a case for its value not just as a means of outreach or professional development, but as a scholarly activity.