An Introduction to Piers Plowman

"A comprehensive and witty guide to understanding Piers Plowman in all its versions, and a manifesto for the pure intellectual pleasure to be had from reading the text as it dynamically unfolds in each of the poet's reworkings."--Sarah Wood, author of Conscience and the Composition of Piers Plowman







"Calabrese makes Piers Plowman accessible without sacrificing complexity, guiding readers expertly through the poem's much-debated development."--Nicole R. Rice, author of Lay Piety and Religious Discipline in Middle English Literature

"This lively book has no peers. . . . Readers seeking a one-stop shop for tools with which to engage with all things Piers could hardly do better than Calabrese's Introduction. . . . [A] magnificent book.”—Medieval Review



“A welcome addition to . . . previously available handbooks, guidebooks, and companions.”—Studies in the Age of Chaucer



"Provides a running summary of the poem through its three widely accepted 'versions,' adding observations, lightly interpretive appreciations, and speculation about the author’s reasons for various revisions. The readings are clarifying and astute, bringing out moments rarely mentioned and offering fresh treatments of famous passages; the critic’s warm voice fosters enthusiasm."—Choice



“Introduce[s] readers to the full complexity of the poem and its critical tradition in an engaging and accessible way. . . . Calabrese draws on a shared library of texts and experiences with inventive analogies that bring the poem to life.”—Speculum