First book-length treatment of a fascinating medieval French romance, underlining its influence in the genre.

Introduction
Patterns of Youth and Age
Power, Birth and Values: The fils à vilain Theme
Walter Map and Other Animals
Experiments in Fiction: Anselot's Story
When is an Ending not an Ending? Questions of Closure
Poets and a Patron: The Making of Partonopeus de Blois
Conclusion
Appendix 1: Notes on Editions and Manuscripts
Appendix 2: Synopsis
Bibliography