"In English the book reads with remarkable freshness. Scholarship on the verse romances has continued in recent years, but has concentrated on the production of (very welcome) new editions and articles on fashionable aspects of individual texts; Schmolke-Hasselmann's breadth of approach remains unparalleled. Like all the best criticism, Schmolke-Hasselmann's book raises as many stimulating questions as it answers." Rosemary Morris, Albion

• Acknowledgements; Introduction; Part I. The Response to Chrétien: Tradition and Innovation in Arthurian Romance: 1. The stigma of decadence; 2. Consolidation of the form; 3. Changes in the relationship between ideals and reality; 4. Knight or lover: Gawain as a paragon divided; 5. Old matiere, new sens: innovation in thought and content; 6. Aspects of the response to Chrétien: from plagiarism to nostalgia; Part II. An Historical Survey of the Impact of the Arthurian Verse Romances: 7. The popularity of Arthurian verse romances; 8. The audience; 9. Arthurian literature in French and its significance for England; Bibliography; Index.