‘Reading/Reception’

Abstract

This entry provides an overview of the scholarship on two different (but interrelated) strands of research in the field of early modern women’s textual studies: the identity and practices of the woman reader (which explores how and what women read); and the reception of female authors (which analyzes how women writers were read by Renaissance men and women). It argues that quantitative approaches are required in both these areas to trace overarching patterns and trends, and also proposes that “big picture” statistics need to be balanced with qualitative case studies to capture the intricate practices of early modern readers.