|
|
Article: Dead wrong; Literary criticism; Stanley Fish on Milton.(Books and Arts)(Review)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- June 16, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
How Milton Works.
STANLEY FISH, now at the University of Illinois in Chicago, is probably the most eminent provocateur in America's Eng-Lit establishment, chided for all manner of intellectual sin from relativism to political correctness. He is also, more pertinently, its most famous Miltonist. In 1967 he wrote a book called "Surprised by Sin", which argued that "Paradise Lost" tricks its readers into sympathising with wickedness in order to educate them in goodness. This had a big influence on how Milton was read. Since then he has written with great acclaim on literary theory, psychoanalysis and legal theory.
This new book is billed by its publishers ...