A Companion to the Works of Hartmann von Aue. Edited by Francis G. Gentry. Studies in German Literature, Linguistics, and Culture. Edited by James Hardin. Woodbridge, UK, and Rochester, NY: Boydell and Brewer, 2005. Pp. vii + 291; 5 illustrations. $95.

This collection of twelve essays (including an introductory piece by the editor) will prove eminently valuable to a range of different readers, from veteran Hartmann aficionados, to budding students, to general readers of medieval literature. Indeed, this is the stated mission of the Camden House Companion series (which to date is represented by twenty-seven volumes). The imposing roster of scholars represented in the present volume imparts a sweeping variety of perspectives on Hartmann's oeuvre. Moreover, the fact that they hail from the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom means that those perspectives are informed by somewhat differing cultural and critical traditions. Certain of these scholars write from the vantage of established reputations, while others are newer to the profession. Each of the twelve contributions—which range from scrupulously traditional to somewhat idiosyncratic in their focus—is significant in its own right, and this volume offers much that is familiar and some that is new. Such, ultimately, is the nature of any collaborative work intended to serve as a "companion" to the works of a given author. And, indeed, with the extensive bibliographies accompanying each essay and with a more comprehensive, if not altogether exhaustive, bibliography at the end, this book will also act as a springboard for further inquiry into Hartmann's body of work.

Michael Resler
Boston College