The commodification of textual engagements in the English Renaissance

the long version

"In this study Michael Saenger illustrates his general account of the formal properties of front matter - titles and subtitles, prefatory epistles, and commendatory verses - with readings of specific examples, including Feltham's Resolves, A Myrrovre for Magistrates, and Sidney's Arcadia. He explores the several ways in which paratextual authors sought to involve the reader in various active roles vis-a-vis the main text, whether those books were prose fiction or translated continental sermons. Some particular attention is devoted to printed drama, both because dramatic texts present printers with a unique set of challenges and because those texts have often been misread in recent criticism."--Jacket.