Choice 评论
The 14 essays in this collection present a comprehensive view of Jonson's life and career as poet, playwright, literary critic, and advocate and practitioner of the sister arts. Jonson was a visual designer for illustrations in books, including architectural and geometric configurations on title pages and frontispieces, for scenic backdrops, and for costumes. He also oversaw music and choreography for masques and entertainments. Consistent in the high quality of its essays, this volume promotes many new views of Jonson while summarizing previous commentary. At the same time, the contributors approach their topics by situating Jonson in the intellectual climate, social environment, cultural milieu, and politics from which his diverse works issued. As such, this title, while serving as excellent literary history, more broadly expounds a history of ideas, which will appeal to specialists in many areas--sociology, theater arts, political science, and cultural, intellectual, and art history. Uniformly well written, well researched, and persuasively argued, this work is a necessary acquisition for all collections serving upper-division undergraduates and above. A. C. Labriola Duquesne University