The Renaissance Utopia

’From the first chapter to the last, Houston's readings of the works she discusses each offer lucid and insightful accounts of the ideas embodied in them and of the variety of forms in which those ideas are presented. This engaging book illuminates major themes in the intellectual and cultural history of the early modern Europe, not just England.’ David Harris Sacks, Reed College, USA 'For all readers interested in utopian literature, in Renaissance political thought, Reformation theology, and British history, Chloë Houston's The Renaissance Utopia is a well-written, highly instructive, and recommendable contribution to the critical literature on utopia.' Review of English Studies 'The Renaissance Utopia provides a thorough, enjoyable introduction to the development of early modern utopian literature; its analysis of both canonical and marginal figures associated with the tradition will be valuable to students and researchers alike.' Cambridge Quarterly 'The Renaissance Utopia threads the complex nuances of utopian literature of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries into a tapestry of superb scholarship. It is an extremely interesting book that is well written and easy to read. The book should be in the library of anyone who is interested in English history and literature of this period as well as utopian studies.' Parergon