Jane Austen and the Theatre Book

As Moulton remarks in his introduction, much academic work has been done on the use of sexuality and the erotic in Renaissance play-texts but, surprisingly, the function of the erotic in Renaissance poetry and prose has been significantly under-studied.

Moulton's introduction is excellent as he probes the differences between the literary erotic and the pornographic, and situates both within their historicised contexts.

He then goes on to look at specific instances of Renaissance literary eroticism, specifically the Aretino imitations that were fashionable and popular around the 1590s. Moulton is specifically interested in the way the erotic is used to negotiate issues around national identity and, to a lesser extent, masculinity.

As a monograph, this is not - and never intends to be - a broad study of Renaissance erotics, so if it is somewhat limited that isn't the book's or the author's fault. Well-argued, intellectually-stimulating and elegantly-written, this is one of the books that re-opens the issue of the erotic in literature.