If 'Sordello' is a book-length poem, then 'The Ring and the Book'-in its day regarded as Browning's greatest achievement, but today seemingly out of fashion-is something different. It is in fact a great novel, but one presented in blank verse, almost 21,000 lines of it, and in twelve books, each representing a different view of the action (a court case involving adultery and murder) by one of the protagonists. Why it has been called an "epic poem" is a puzzle; it is epic only in length; it is a poem only because it is in verse. Pushkin's 'Yevgeny Onegin' is everywhere regarded as a novel, although it is in verse. 'The Ring and the Book' is the greatest of all English verse novels; it is one of the great English novels of the 19th century; it is a remarkably modern novel in terms of narrative technique; it is, by any standard,s a great work of English Literature. It is offered by Shearsman in the author's bicentenary year, as it simply should not be out of print....
If 'Sordello' is a book-length poem, then 'The Ring and the Book'-in its day regarded as Browning's greatest achievement, but today seemingly out of fashion-is something different. It is in fact a great novel, but one presented in blank verse, almost 21,000 lines of it, and in twelve books, each representing a different view of the action (a court case involving adultery and murder) by one of the protagonists. Why it has been called an "epic poem" is a puzzle; it is epic only in length; it is a poem only because it is in verse. Pushkin's 'Yevgeny Onegin' is everywhere regarded as a novel, although it is in verse. 'The Ring and the Book' is the greatest of all English verse novels; it is one of the great English novels of the 19th century; it is a remarkably modern novel in terms of narrative technique; it is, by any standard,s a great work of English Literature. It is offered by Shearsman in the author's bicentenary year, as it simply should not be out of print....
Über den Autor
Robert Browning was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of the dramatic monologue placed him among the foremost poets of the Victorian age. He was born on 7 May 1812 in Walworth, London, United Kingdom, to Charles Browning and Sarah Anna Wiedemann Browning. From an early age, he was influenced by his father's wide-ranging literary interests and his mother's musical sensibilities. Known for his irony, dark humor, complex characterization, and profound psychological insight, Browning's work explored human motives, moral struggle, and emotional conflict. His plays include Pippa Passes, Colombe's Birthday, and A Blot in the 'Scutcheon, each displaying his fascination with moral ambiguity and dramatic intensity. In 1846, he married Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and their union became one of the most notable literary partnerships in history. Their son, Robert Barrett Browning, was born in 1849. After Elizabeth's death in 1861, Browning continued to write and gained widespread acclaim. He died on 12 December 1889 at Ca' Rezzonico in Venice, Italy, at the age of 77, leaving behind a rich body of work that defined the intellectual and emotional landscape of his era.
