Confessio Amantis, Volume 1

by John Gower, Russell A. Peck (Editor), Andrew Galloway (Translator)

Confessio Amantis, Vol. 1: Prologue, Book 1, Book 8 Confessio Amantis, Vol. 1: Prologue, Book 1, Book 8 Western Michigan Univ FIRST First Edition, First Printing. Published by Western Michigan Univ Medieval, 2000. Octavo. Paperback. Book is very good.Seller 539930 Poetry We Buy Books! Collections - Libraries - Estates - Individual Titles. Message us if you have books to sell!

Genres: Poetry, Medieval, Fiction, Classics, British Literature, 14th Century, School

Paperback

First published January 1, 1390

About the author

John Gower (c. 1330 – October 1408) was an English poet, a contemporary of William Langland and a personal friend of Geoffrey Chaucer. He is remembered primarily for three major works, the Mirroir de l'Omme, Vox Clamantis, and Confessio Amantis, three long poems written in French, Latin, and English respectively, which are united by common moral and political themes.

Reviews

[Kim Zarins]

Gower rules! If you love couplets and twists on Ovidian tales, look no farther. If you are a non-academic reader, maybe start by reading individual stories side by side with Ovid (or Chaucer) to appreciate how he shifts meanings in the old stories. I don't normally rate medieval books that are normally read only by an academic audience, but this is Gower, so I'm pleased to promote him. He deserves a wider readership.

[Katie]

Middle English is hard, but I think Gower's writing makes it a little easier. Confessio Amantis is sort of fun, for all the struggle it takes to read it. I really enjoy the many stories it contains, and the dynamic ways Gower deals with the 7 sins. Today, we've boiled the sins down to simple concepts. The sins weren't like that in Gower's time, so it's refreshing to read about how meaningful and deep sins and virtues were for these people.

[riley]

i was in SHOCK when amans revealed himself to be john gower. it was the highlight of this text, and i kept thinking of it as my spider-man no way home moment and hearing the shocked reaction sound that people had to that movie. i also enjoyed the tale of appolonius of tyr, that was one of the more interesting ones!

[Tanner]

Striking, truly. This was the book that nearly converted a 20th century Brit./Irish literature student to a Medievalist. I did not take the time I needed to process the prologue, book 1, and book 8, but what I did understand was profoundly creative.

[Miles Smith]

UGH

[henna gibbs]

A good take one the original story

[Izzy]

Fun at times but very longwinded

[Juno Hoar]

obv not whole thing but ima track it as the whole thing

[Highlyeccentric]

I've only read book 8 at this stage, and my grand conclusion is: I need to read more.

[Leslie Mae]

Might "moral" Gower really be refashioned into the kind of chivalric lover that the Confessio suggests? In a brilliant reversal in the end vision of the Confessio Amantis, what the reader at first thought was primarily the education and moral mental regulating of chivalric romance in light of christian charity turns on its heel and asks what creative beauty has in common with divine beauty.

Be warned - this work requires a holy/mythic juggernaut of energy to blast through. It's worth it in the end, however.

[Fr. Peter Mottola]

This very helpfully glossed Middle English text is readable even for those who have no formal training in Middle English. The work itself contains myriad fascinating moral examples drawn from a wide variety of biblical and classical stories. I have found herein many great illustrations that can be used well in preaching, as the images are powerful and difficult to forget.

If you enjoyed the Consolation of Philosophy of Boethius, this may be right up your alley.

[Amanda]

Not one of my favorite medieval texts but the idealized description of the 3 estates model in book 1 is an interesting perspective.

[Kelly A.]

I CAN'T rate this, I CAN'T

[Grétar]

A quite long didactic poem. At least the prologue and the epilogue are essential read for any fourteenth century enthusiast:-)

[Abby Ang]

ugh

[Wen]

What do I think? I think it's going to take awhile.

[Minna]

Dull. Read Ovid instead.