Feminist Milton

From Library Journal In his introduction, Rumrich writes that Milton "frequently defied conventional expectations of all sorts and reinvented decorum whenever he thought it necessary for the expression of his highly original ideas and conventions." Wittreich would agree and in Feminist Milton seeks to redeem the poet from the misogynist readings that have characterized both male and female criticism of Paradise Lost since 1830. Through a careful examination of the poem and of reader response in the 18th and early 19th centuries, he demonstrates Milton's support for sexual equality. Rumrich's book is more wide-ranging, exploring such issues as Milton's theodicy and Ovid's influence on Paradise Lost. In analyzing Milton's treatment of Christ, Rumrich goes so far as to place the poet in the camp of the Arian heretics. While both works are controversial, they testify to the continued vitality of Milton studies even as they contribute new insights to the field. Joseph Rosenblum, Univ. of North Carolina, GreensboroCopyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.