Romance is a varied and fluid literary genre, notoriously difficult to define. This groundbreaking
Companion surveys the many permutations of romance throughout the ages.
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- Considers the literary and historical development of the romance genre from its classical origins to the present day
- Incorporates discussion of the changing readership of romance and of romance’s special relation to women readers
- Comprises 30 essays written by leading authorities on different periods and sub-genres
- Challenges the idea that the appeal of romance is exclusively escapist
- Draws on a wide range of specific and influential literary examples
