Elizabeth Solopova (b. 20 January 1965[1]) is a Russian-British philologist and medievalist undertaking research at New College, Oxford.[2][3] She is known outside academic circles for her work on J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings.

Life

Elizabeth Solopova was born in Soviet Union and graduated from Moscow State University. She completed her PhD in English at the University of Oxford.[4] She is a research fellow at the University of Oxford,[5] where she teaches Old and Middle English.[6]

Reception

The Keys of Middle-Earth

Solopova's 2005 book The Keys of Middle-Earth, written with Stuart D. Lee, on Tolkien's medieval sources for his fantasy writings, was warmly received by scholars, though they found some issues with it. It is her most-cited work.[7] It has been described as an excellent introduction, both for students to use as a text and as a resource for instructors, and an interesting sidelight on the linguistic issues that so fascinated Tolkien.[8] Scholars have praised it as a well-chosen selection of texts and a well-researched introduction to both Tolkien's career and the study of medieval languages.[9] Others have noted that it excludes The Silmarillion, which would have demanded the Finnish Kalevala.[10] As a student text, its medieval fragments are well-introduced but too short for most academic purposes.[11]

Key Concepts in Medieval Literature

Solopova's 2007 book Key Concepts in Medieval Literature, also written with Stuart D. Lee, has been praised as a scholarly introduction with essays at a level suitable for undergraduates and helpful recommendations for further reading. The literature is however exclusively English.[12]

Books

She has written or edited the following books:[13]

  • 2000 Chaucer: The General Prologue
  • 2005 The Keys of Middle-Earth: Discovering Medieval Literature through the Fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien
  • 2009 Languages, Myths and History: An Introduction to the Linguistic and Literary Background of J. R. R. Tolkien's Fiction
  • 2007 Key Concepts in Medieval Literature
  • 2015 Latin Liturgical Psalters in the Bodleian Library: A Select Catalogue – a catalogue of 111 liturgical psalters from the Bodleian Library, with details of bookbinding, decoration, and text.[14]
  • 2016 The Wycliffite Bible: Origin, History and Interpretation
  • 2020 From the Vulgate to the Vernacular: Four Debates on an English Question c. 1450 (editor, with J. Catto and A. Hudson)

References

  1. "Solopova, Elizabeth". Library of Congress.
  2. "Solopova, Elizabeth". Library of Congress. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  3. "Elizabeth Solopova". University of Oxford. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  4. Collier, Pieter (16 June 2009). "Interview with Dr. Solopova, author of Languages, Myths and History". Tolkien Library. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  5. "About the Author: Elizabeth Solopova". University of Chicago Press. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  6. "Dr Elizabeth Solopova". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  7. "Elizabeth Solopova". Google Scholar. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  8. Wilcox, Miranda (2007). "The Keys of Middle Earth: Discovering Medieval Literature Through the Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien". The Medieval Review. 9.
  9. Marsh, Kay (2008). "Review of The Keys of Middle Earth: Discovering Medieval Literature Through the Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien". Studies in the Novel. 40 (4): 517–519. JSTOR 29533903.
  10. Holmes, John R. (2007). "[Review:] The Keys of Middle-earth: Discovering Medieval Literature through the Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien". Tolkien Studies. 4 (1): 278–282. doi:10.1353/tks.2007.0020. S2CID 170900902.
  11. Drout, Michael D. C. (2006). "[Review:] Stuart D. Lee and Elizabeth Solopova, The Keys of Middle-earth: Discovering Medieval Literature through the Fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien". Notes and Queries. 53 (4): 555–556. doi:10.1093/notesj/gjl196.
  12. Johnson, Richard (10 March 2017). "Solopova/Lee, Key Concepts in Medieval Literature". The Medieval Review. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  13. "Books by Elizabeth Solopova". Goodreads. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  14. Toswell, M. J. (2015). "Reviews: Elizabeth Solopova, Latin Liturgical Psalters in the Bodleian Library: A Select Catalogue". Speculum. 90 (1): 298–299. doi:10.1017/S0038713414002991.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.