Areopagitica Book

Roe strains too hard to find layers of significance in Hunt's poetry and essays (plus I get the sense the classical references go over his head a little) and doesn't completely convince me that Hunt was having an emotional affair with his sister-in-law. I also feel like there's scope to say much more about Hunt's mental illness, his sexual/relationship orientation (this book hints at his being bisexual and polyamorous, but leaves it there), and how his crush on Shelley affected his political/moral convictions - not in this book necessarily, as it's long and detailed already, and is beginning to wind down by the time Shelley appears, but I'd love to see someone talk about these things.

What this book does really well, however, is set Hunt in the political and cultural context of his time, and affirm what an attractive character he was -- warm, generous, loyal, compassionate and possessed of incredible moral determination and courage. It'll also send you straight out to find those chatty, vivid, endearing, beautifully observed essays -- when oh when will Penguin or Oxford World's Classics publish a selection???? He really absolutely deserves it.