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Rosalynd
A book on Thomas Lodge's Rosalynd .
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1592
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97 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Lodge
136Ìýbooks2ÌýfollowersThomas Lodge (c. 1558-1625) was an English dramatist, poet and writer.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 24, 2013
Greed is the third of the deadly sins and plays a major role in this narrative first published in 1594. After the death of a wealthy aristocrat, the oldest son discovers that he hasn’t inherited the lion’s portion of his father’s wealth and estates. He has to share it with his two younger brothers. He will stop at nothing, including murder, to claim what he considers his rightful legacy. The three brothers uniquely differ from each other. The middle brother is the scholastic and the youngest is the strong, athletic and most physical of the three. What endearing and positive traits can be attached to the character of the oldest isn’t literally stated so I can only affix cunning, unscrupulous and tenacious, in other words he isn’t a very nice guy. This is an old story in its original wrapping and still remains today a gripping narrative. Although it doesn’t have the poetical flow of Shakespeare, it has the prose for an easier understanding. I admire, more than like this literary work, as it forms one of the pillars in which the contemporary literature is formed. It is a good thing to explore the roots of your passion of reading; I think everyone should make the excursion.
February 14, 2021
This was really boring, I didn’t take very much of it in whatsoever. Probably would’ve been useful to know Latin before reading it. Fairly interesting in terms of it being related to As You Like It but that’s about as good as it gets.
June 25, 2016
Thomas Lodge is another of those Renaissance writers who has disappeared from the general canon and so is only known to scholars and - possibly - students. But in his day he was a popular author associated with the 'university wits' (he had an MA from Oxford) and the Inns of Court along with Robert Greene and, later, Marlowe, Nashe and Donne. Like Philip Sidney he wrote a defence of poetry and literature in response to Stephen Gosson's The Schoole of Abuse, and was also involved in writing plays for the Globe and other London playhouses.
Today Lodge is best known for his erotic epyllion, in imitation of stories from Ovid's Metamorphoses, Scillaes Metamorphosis (1580) which might have influenced Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis.
Lodge's romances are a genre that we don't really recognise now: part rudimentary novel with inset poems, part fairy-tale, they are sometimes deemed 'difficult' to read by students because they confound our expectations. But in Lodge's own day, this genre was a hugely popular one and Rosalyde itself owes debts to texts such as Sidney's two Arcadias, as well as a direct allegiance to John Lyly's Euphues as referenced in the title.
Shakespeare adopted and adapted Roslynde for his "As You Like it", something frequently done in an age which didn't recognise plagiarism and which didn't put a premium on 'originality' as we do.
So whether you're interested in how Shakespeare worked with his sources, or you're just keen to read beyond the canonical Renaissance writers, this is well worth a read. Bright, witty, clever and funny, this opens a window into the Renaissance literary world.
Today Lodge is best known for his erotic epyllion, in imitation of stories from Ovid's Metamorphoses, Scillaes Metamorphosis (1580) which might have influenced Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis.
Lodge's romances are a genre that we don't really recognise now: part rudimentary novel with inset poems, part fairy-tale, they are sometimes deemed 'difficult' to read by students because they confound our expectations. But in Lodge's own day, this genre was a hugely popular one and Rosalyde itself owes debts to texts such as Sidney's two Arcadias, as well as a direct allegiance to John Lyly's Euphues as referenced in the title.
Shakespeare adopted and adapted Roslynde for his "As You Like it", something frequently done in an age which didn't recognise plagiarism and which didn't put a premium on 'originality' as we do.
So whether you're interested in how Shakespeare worked with his sources, or you're just keen to read beyond the canonical Renaissance writers, this is well worth a read. Bright, witty, clever and funny, this opens a window into the Renaissance literary world.
August 9, 2022
I love the simplicity of medieval romances. It was obvious where things were going but a few clever twists were needed to get there. And of course, the idea of sprouting poetry in the middle of a conversation really should be revived. Bring back the Sonnetto. 🤣
February 24, 2022
Interesting only in the sense that it is the basis of AYL
August 30, 2023
Wrote a cracking essay on this and as you like it. Read to assess gender norms and realise you would much rather be a pastoral peasant.
November 26, 2024
interesting enough to compare to as you like it but my god this man knows how to bore you with description!
Read
January 25, 2025What the text does with gender and performance is pretty interesting; still the second half felt a bit dull and weird pacing-wise. More for academia than pleasure
March 17, 2019
*read for class*
June 29, 2011
Very amusing!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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