Joan E. McRae, An Introduction to Literary Debate in Late Medieval France: From Le Roman de la Rose to La Belle Dame sans Mercy, Joan E. McRae. Gainsville, Tallahassee, et al.: University Press of Florida. New Perspectives on Medieval Literature: Authors and Traditions, 2024, 249pp.

This is an excellent introduction to the topic of medieval rhetoric and argumentation relative to two important poems in the late Middle Ages. McRae’s recent monograph will well serve scholars new to this topic and student medievalists in need of background information to pivotal late medieval authors. Her previous publications (1997 diss.; 2003 and 2004 critical editions and translations) related to the Belle Dame sans Mercy debate have made her a reliable expert on Alain Chartier.