The Cambridge Introduction to Milton
John Milton often intimidates today’s readers—and with good reason. He is one of the most important and influential writers in English literary history. The goal of this book is to make Milton’s works more accessible and enjoyable by providing a comprehensive overview of the author’s life, times, and writings. It describes essential details from Milton’s biography, explains some of the cultural and historical contexts in which he wrote, offers fresh analyses of his major pamphlets and poems—including Lycidas, Areopagitica, and Paradise Lost—and describes in depth traditional and recent responses to his reputation and writings. This detailed and engaging introduction to Milton will help readers not only better understand the author’s life and works but also better appreciate why Milton matters.
Praise for The Cambridge Introduction to Milton:
“invariably intriguing and informative . . . lucid, accessible . . . [introduces Milton to new readers] with flair and aplomb.”
David Hawkes, SEL: Studies in English Literature
“not only eminently readable, nuanced, and comprehensive, but also pitch-perfect . . . Dobranski’s is an introduction with a rare combination of concise historical and contextual comprehensiveness and formal literary acumen.”
Ryan Netzley, Milton Quarterly
“[T]his volume far surpasses similar studies in breadth and depth despite its compact size.”
J. H. Sims, Choice