Memory and Medievalism in George RR Martin and Game of Thrones - by Carolyne Larrington & Anna Czarnowus (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This book explores the connections between history and fantasy in George RR Martin's immensely popular book series 'A Song of Ice and Fire' and the international TV sensation HBO TV's Game of Thrones. Acknowledging the final season's foregrounding of the cultural centrality of history, truth and memory in the confrontation between Bran and the Night King, the volume takes full account of the TV show's conclusion in its multiple readings across from medieval history, its institutions and practices, as depicted in the books to the show's own particular medievalism. The topics under discussion include the treatment of the historical phenomena of chivalry, tournaments, dreams, models of education, and the supernatural, and the different ways in which these are mediated in Martin's books and the TV show. The collection also includes a new study of one of Martin's key sources, Maurice Druon's Les Rois Maudits, in-depth explorations of major characters in their medieval contexts, and provocative reflections on the show's controversial handling of gender and power politics.

Written by an international team of medieval scholars, historians, literary and cultural experts, bringing their own unique perspectives to the multiple societies, belief-systems and customs of the 'Game of Thrones' universe, Memory and Medievalism in George RR Martin and Game of Thronesoffers original and sparky insights into the world-building of books and show.

Review Quotes

The power of this collection lies precisely in its breadth and inclusivity, offering valuable perspectives from a range of disciplinary homes and national traditions in order to present a vibrant and diverse exploration of George R.R. Martin's world. The 12 essays take us from Kings Landing to Essos, and from Castle Black to Dorne, to understand what happens when memory comes into conflict with memories. From Targaryen Kings to peripatetic Septons, the collection addresses not just the inhabitants of the Seven Kingdoms, but their differing voices, taking in questions of disability, toxicity, gender theory, and queerness along the way.
The power of these essays, then, lies not only in the depth of the scholarship at work, but in the variety of the voices which the editors have assembled to offer broad and capacious meditations on questions of power, legitimacy, gender, agency, leadership, and fantasy. As Jon Snow reminds Maestor Aemon in his reminder of the need for diversity: A chain needs all sorts of metals, and a land needs all sorts of people." (GoT: ASOIAF, p. 435) Let it be said that the many metals of this collection make for a very strong chain indeed.

Andrew Elliott, Associate Professor, University of Lincoln, UK

The essays in this collection create a fascinating parallel scholarly universe in response to the palimpsest of history, memory, and fantasy that is A Game of Thrones. Tackling issues of democracy, faith, scholarship, jurisprudence, medicine, economics, chivalry, emotion, violence, and misogyny, the contributors to this volume offer smart critical commentary on the traditionalist medievalist world imagined by George R.R. Martin, David Benioff, and Daniel Weiss.
Richard Utz, Professor in Medievalism Studies, Georgia Institute of Technology, US

This new collection brings together a series of rich, insightful studies which dissect the work of George R.R. Martin and its wider impact and legacy. The contributions to this collection demonstrate how so many vital elements of the medieval world from the mundane aspects of religion, trade, finance, and academia to the glories of chivalry and tournaments, resonate in A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones. From analysing the role of key characters like Cersei Lannister and Sandor Clegane to exploring underlying elements such as masculine sexuality and violence, issues of disability or the role of emotionality, this collection has something for every reader including both fans of Martin's writing and the wider works which it has inspired or scholars and student of the Middle Ages.
Ellie Woodacre, Reader in History, University of Winchester, UK

About the Author

Carolyne Larrington is Professor of Medieval Literature at University of Oxford, UK. She is the author of The Women's Companion to Mythology (1997), Morgan and her Sisters in Arthurian Tradition (2006), The Land of the Green Man (2015) and Winter is Coming (2015), among others.

Anna Czarnowus is Associate Professor in the faculty of the Humanities at University of Silesia, Poland. She is the co-editor, along with M. J. Toswell, of Medievalism in English Canadian Literature: From Richardson to Atwood (2020).