John Milton: The Self and the World (Studies in the English Renaissance)

This book offers a wealth of insights into Milton's works. Not attempting to supersede William Riley Parker's two-volume Milton: A Biography ( LJ 2/15/69) as the standard life, Shawcross delves into some of the less explored areas of the poet's career, such as his relationship with Charles Diodati and the liberating effect of the death of Milton's mother. He makes a good case against those who regard Milton as a misogynist and defends the often neglected, sometimes maligned prose writings. When the study examines Milton's psyche, the results are less happy: any careful writer may be viewed as having an anal personality, and the case for homoeroticism remains unproved. Still, except for occasional lapses into Jungian jargon, the book reads well. All students of Milton will find the study thought-provoking.
- Joseph Rosenblum , Univ. of North Carolina - Greensboro
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