French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Corbellari, Le Moyen Âge à travers les âges
Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Alain Corbellari

Le Moyen Âge à travers les âges

Alphil editions

Collection Focus

Série Rayons littéraires

136 p.

14.00 €

ISBN:978-2-88950-026-0

From Kaamelott to Game of Thrones, and from role-playing games to medieval fairs popping up in every little town across the Old (and even New) World, the medieval imagination is omnipresent in contemporary Western society. Yet, as one might expect, this has not always been the case. Oscillating constantly between its "romanticized" legend (troubadours, courtly love, the valiant knight) and its "dark" legend (feudal warfare, the plague, dark dungeons), the Middle Ages have experienced dramatic eclipses and revivals over time. This book paints a comprehensive picture of these shifts, examining both the scholarly and popular reception of a period that viewed itself through the lens of successive "renaissances." It even raises the question of whether the very label "Middle Ages" might just be a phantom we are perpetually chasing in vain.

Read the table of contents...

Alain Corbellari was born in 1967 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. A specialist in the history of medieval studies—particularly the figure of Joseph Bédier—and the reception of the Middle Ages in modern culture, he has also worked on medieval comic literature, Romain Rolland, and Charles Albert Cingria, having co-edited the new edition of the latter's Complete Works.

Alain Corbellari explores how contemporary Western society remains fascinated by the medieval era, tracing this ongoing obsession from modern pop culture phenomena like Game of Thrones back through centuries of changing perceptions. The book maps the historical oscillations between the romanticized legend of courtly love and the darker vision of feudal warfare and the plague. By analyzing how successive generations viewed the period through their own distinct renaissances, the author investigates the fluctuating cultural memory that has alternately embraced and rejected the medieval past.

This accessible volume is particularly valuable for students of literature, cultural history, and the reception of the past who seek to understand how historical epochs are constructed and reimagined. Corbellari draws upon his expertise in the history of medieval studies and modern cultural reception to question the very stability of the label Middle Ages. The book offers helpful context for anyone interested in the enduring phantom of medievalism in contemporary imagination, shedding light on the complex relationship between scholarly research and popular culture.

Watch an interview with the author on the UniL website (video)…