The Selected Writings of Christine De Pizan (Norton Critical Editions)

Christine is one of my favorite medieval authors, for numerous reasons. She was one of the first professional authors, despite the virtual impossibility of a woman being accepted as a professional of any sort during her era. These selections from her numerous works will open a window onto late-medieval society and culture, including the famous "querelle de la rose" about women's status.

I'm excited by the cover but I haven't receive it yet!

I wrote my thesis on Christine de Pizan and as one reviewer said, Sheila Delany's article was very good because it is very passionate. However I think that Delany missed the mark in her assessment of Christine. While one reviewer said that she supported men ruling over women I would urge you to take a second look at her work, you really have to have a full understanding of medieval allegory if you want to understand the messages within her works, and definitely take another look at Gottlieb's essay. Every time I reread Christine I find new and exciting things. That being said, I think that even if one has not studied medieval literature, her works would still be enjoyable.

This is an excellent collection of excerpts from the writings of the 15th century author Christine de Pizan. Pizan, a trasplanted Italian in France, churned out a massive body of work on every type of conceivable subject; politics, love, history, philosophy, panegyric as well as love ballads. Pizan was the first professional female writer, no mean feat in a male dominated world.I have to say I'm pretty impressed with her writings. She has a sharp intellect that shines throughout her works. She also uses her own personal experiences in her writings (Christine was widowed at the age of 25 and had to turn to writing to support herself and her family). Christine also studied the classics profusely, which she puts to heavy use in her stories. The best excerpt was probably from her best known work, The City of Ladies, in which Christine symbolically builds a city to house all of the virtuous women from history. The reason is to showcase women who have contributed much to society and history, as well as to refute what Christine perceived as the tendency in male literature to demonize women. This excerpt has certainly made me want to read this work. It's done in such a clever way that the reader can't help but smile as Christine scores points against misogynistic egomaniacs who attack women for their own personal gain.The second part of the book consists of several scholarly criticisms that for the most part aren't worth much, which is why I gave the book three stars. The best criticism was written by Sheila Delany, who wrote that while Christine defended women against the attacks of men, she in no way was what we would call a feminist. Christine upheld the power structure of 15th century France, which not only was ruled by men to the exclusion of women, but also was heavily stacked against the common man.An excellent book that I would recommend to anyone interested in literature or history. Again, the three stars I gave this book in no way reflect on Christine de Pizan or her works.

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excellent book, efficiently provided