September 10, 2010

Books

The Way We Were

The Ends of Life Roads to Fulfillment in Early Modern EnglandKeith ThomasOxford University Press, $24.95, 416 pp.

David Castronovo

Keith Thomas is an important British historian whose work should be more widely known in America. He writes about how early modern people—from the aristocrat to the laborer—conceived of life’s purposes. Terry Eagleton has written that “as far as society is concerned, I as an individual am utterly dispensable.” Why don’t I “join a circus or take an overdose”? Eag (...)


 

The remainder of this article is only available to paid subscribers. If you’re not currently a Commonweal subscriber in print or online, an online-only subscription costs just $34 a year. Click here for immediate access

 

[register as a new user] [forgot your password?]

Free e-newsletter

More Information