Marie Powell married the famous poet John Milton in order to escape a debt. This novel is historical author and poet Robert Graves’ fictionalization of a real, troubled marriage, told from the point of view of Marie herself, a witty and sensual woman who is ill matched to the cruel and domineering Milton.
The famous poet John Milton, author of Paradise Lost, had a wife, and their story is both strange and tumultuous. Consummate historical novelist and poet Robert Graves tells the story from the perspective of the wife, Marie Powell, a young woman who married the poet to escape a debt.
From the start, the couple proves mismatched; Milton is a domineering and insensitive husband set on punishing Marie for not providing the promised dowry. John Milton and his young wife are both religiously and temperamentally incompatible, and this portrait of their relationship is spellbinding, if not distinctly unflattering to Milton. It also provides fascinating accounts of the political upheavals of the time, including the execution of Charles I. This book is an excellent read for fans of historical fiction.
Robert Graves
Robert Graves (1895–1985) was an English novelist, poet, and translator of classical Greek and Roman literature, and one of the most celebrated English writers of the 20th century. Graves published more than 140 novels and collections of poetry, groundbreaking analyses of Greek mythology, and a memoir. Graves is best known for his historical novels, which include I, Claudius, Claudius, the God, The Golden Fleece, King Jesus, and Count Belisarius.Robert Graves served in combat during World War I and was gravely wounded at the Battle of the Somme. Following his recovery, he wrote several works of war poetry as well as a memoir of his time in combat, Goodbye to All That. In 1934, Robert Graves was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his historical novels that explain the life of the Roman Emperor Claudius. Among his books for young readers are Greek Gods and Heroes and The Siege and Fall of Troy. He dedicated Ann at Highwood Hall to two of his grandchildren, Georgina and David Graves.
