Richard Anthony McCabe Book order (chronological)

This collection features forty-two essays by international experts that explore the entirety of Spenser's work and the social and intellectual contexts of its creation. The essays offer fresh interpretations of the texts, comprehensive analyses of previous criticism, and updated bibliographies. The first section, 'Contexts', discusses the political, social, and professional issues relevant to Spenser's poetry and prose. The second section, 'Works', presents new readings informed by contemporary scholarship. 'Poetic Craft', the third section, delves into Spenser's 'cunning', examining the linguistic, rhetorical, and stylistic skills that define his writing. The fourth section, 'Sources and Influences', analyzes various subtexts and intertexts, placing Spenser's works within the literary conventions and genres he both draws from and challenges. The final section, 'Reception', addresses Spenser's impact on later generations of editors, writers, and artists, while identifying key trends in the critical tradition. This volume serves as both a companion and a precursor to the Oxford University Press edition of Spenser's Complete Works, encouraging diverse interpretations and stimulating ongoing scholarly discussion without promoting a singular viewpoint.

Spenser's Monstrous Regiment is a stimulating and scholarly account of how the experience of living and writing in Ireland qualified Spenser's attitude towards female "regiment" and challenged his notions of English nationhood. Including a trenchant discussion of the influence of colonialism upon the structure, themes, imagery, and language of Spenser's poetry, this is the first major study of Spenser's canon to engage with primary Gaelic materials in its assessment of his relationship with native Irish and Old English culture.