Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature:
Robert Thomas Lambdin, Laura Lambdin
As someone with a strong interest in Western medieval literature but experience in Asia, I wasn't sure what to expect when I borrowed this book from a friend. Frankly, I was a bit skeptical that the book would be as comprehensive as claimed. But I was incredibly pleased to see the breadth of the entries. There was even a section on medieval Mongolian literature, which was a really nice surprise!I found it fascinating to compare literature from the same era in so many different countries and regions. As a westerner, it's clear to me how important medieval literature is to our cultural tradition; this book allowed me to gauge the importance for other regions as well. This sort of multi-cultural competence is rare nowadays and the authors should be commended for tackling such a broad range of texts.
