The breadth and depth of Lawrence L. Langer’s reading of these three major works is masterful. In a time of slavish devotion to domineering hierarchies, Langer’s book makes the case for “balance and reciprocity as the ideal goals of social existence” as arrived at through mutuality, while also acknowledging the tension between “the world of ought and the world of is” explored by Milton, Melville, and Dostoevsky. Readers can only be thankful for the wisdom and intelligence on display here, as well as the author’s deep commitment to literature, life, and human love.

Peter Filkins, Bard College at Simon's Rock

Hierarchy and Mutuality offers a fresh reading of three central literary works. Elegantly and powerfully written, the book traces interconnections among Milton, Melville and Dostoevsky’s most important works, regarding the human drive toward and resistance to obedience, authority, intimacy, and connectedness. This magisterial literary analysis that engages crucial ethical issues with the clarity and complexity that characterizes Lawrence Langer’s work. Without sacrificing the specificity of each author’s time, place and literary tradition, Langer’s reading makes these works profoundly – chillingly – relevant to our times, raising questions about the rise of tyrants and their seductive appeal.

Sara R. Horowitz, York University