The gilded page : the secret lives of medieval manuscripts /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:Wellesley, Mary, 1986- author.
Edition:First edition.
Imprint:New York : Basic Books, 2021.
©2021
Description:ix, 340 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : color illustrations ; 25 cm
Language:English
Subject:Manuscripts, Medieval -- England -- History.
Transmission of texts -- Social aspects -- England -- History.
English literature -- Old English, ca. 450-1100 -- History and criticism.
English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500 -- History and criticism.
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval -- England.
Marginalia -- England -- History.
English literature -- Middle English.
English literature -- Old English.
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval.
Manuscripts, Medieval.
Marginalia.
Transmission of texts -- Social aspects.
England.
Criticism, interpretation, etc.
History.
Format: Print Book
URL for this record:http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/12640691
Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:9781541675087
1541675088
9781541675094
Notes:Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary:"The Gilded Page is the story of the written word in the pre-Gutenberg age. Ranging from the earliest intact book in Europe, to the only known literary manuscript to be written in Shakespeare's hand, scholar Mary Wellesley reveals the secret lives of these literary and artistic treasures. Traipsing through the remarkable history, she recounts fires (the only surviving Beowulf manuscript is singed at its edges, losing a bit of its matter every decade) and threats ("this is Elisabeth Danes's book / he that steals it shall be hanged by the neck," reads the marginalia in one treasured text). Some manuscripts were designed to reinforce power-like the psalter commissioned by Henry VIII, with a bold illustration of David fighting Goliath, the king's likeness as David's and his archnemesis Pope Paul III's face drawn on Goliath. Some survive and remain celebrated because of an author's political connections-we have so much of Chaucer's writings, and thus study and revere them, because he was a government official first, a poet second. And although work identified with men was more likely to survive through time, some of the most beguiling and beautiful texts were created by women. Many have been lost, like Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love. Yet others are relatively recent discoveries, like the manuscript of illiterate Margery Kempe, found in a country house closet by a family searching for ping pong balls, the book's cover nibbled on by mice. But all these objects have their secrets, and their creation and survival tell us much about power and art, knowledge and beauty. Today we associate illuminated manuscripts with wealthy elites, but they were made by ordinary people: the grinders and binders, the scribes and rubricators. We remember the patrons and the authors, but these objects have been much altered-text embroidered by upstart scribes, mistakes made in copying poems, whole chapters lost to time-and our literary inheritance is one of collective authorship. Rich, dazzling, and passionately told, Untitled is a tribute to some of the most exquisite objects ever made by human hands"--
Review by Choice Review

Wellesley teaches courses on medieval language and literature, and the focus of her book is the history of manuscripts in medieval England. Her approach is anecdotal, and she tells the stories well. She begins with the discovery of some manuscripts and the near loss of others. An example of the former is the finding, in the mid-1930s, of the Book of Margery Kempe, written by a 15th-century English Christian mystic; the latter is the near loss, in the Ashburnham House fire in 1731, of the only copy of Beowulf. Other chapters focus on patrons, artists, and scribes. In one intriguing chapter, Wellesley explores the relationship of authors to the copyists who preserved and adapted their texts. The closing chapter looks at the problems of identifying women authors and the difficulties of learning about even as noted an author as Julian of Norwich. The epilogue examines the displacement of the manuscript by the printed book, and the afterword looks at the uses and misuses of the past. Particularly useful is the glossary of terms. This volume provides readers with an idea of why manuscript research can fascinate. Those already involved in manuscript research will find the stories are still worth reading. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. --Thomas M. Izbicki, emeritus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review

Medievalist Wellesley's passion for her subject shines through in the text as well as her performance of this marvelous history of medieval illuminated manuscripts. The UK title, Hidden Hands: The Lives of Manuscripts and their Makers, perhaps better describes the book's focus: the often-anonymous people who financed, created, used, preserved, rescued, and, sadly, sometimes destroyed these priceless artifacts. Challenging popular notions that manuscripts were exclusively created by monks and only discussed religious matters, Wellesley brings to life often forgotten authors, scribes, artists, and benefactors--many of whom were women, people of color, and laypeople of ordinary means. Describing in rich but jargon-free detail the manuscript life cycle from the arduous (and smelly) process of creating animal skin parchment to the addition of marginalia (annotations added by book owners--including Henry VIII), Wellesley reveals the unique stories and astonishing physical and intellectual labor behind each manuscript. Also captivating are accounts of serendipitous discoveries of several manuscripts as well as the accidental or purposeful destruction of others. VERDICT Wellesley's elegant voice and careful pacing allow listeners to absorb the many details, and warm delivery of the "human stories" that "smudge" the manuscripts make this a delightful listening experience for history buffs and book lovers.--Beth Farrell

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Review by Choice Review


Review by Library Journal Review