Utopia /

Thomas More's timeless classic, which brought the word "utopia" into common usage, has been translated into English many times since its first publication in Latin in 1517. Miller's translation, though, will likely supersede all others as a classroom text and as an essential item in the libraries of Renaissance scholars. Previous translations tended to the extremes of literalism on the one hand or oversimplification on the other, so that meaning was either obscured or lost. Miller (emer., St. Louis Univ.) does not shy away from the complexity of More's Latin, but he renders it into fluent, idiomatic English. He is clearly attentive to More's own dictum that the manner of advice is as important as the matter. In Book 1 Miller retains the convolution of style in the depiction of European corruption, because it stands in meaningful contrast to the robust simplicity of the account of Utopia itself in Book 2. The translation is preceded by a concise introduction that highlights the paradox of More's imaginary society; in Utopia the ills of European society are averted, but in ways that smack of totalitarianism. Endnotes and useful suggestions for further reading. All collections. J. Sainsbury Brock University