The Political Theory of Christine de Pizan. By Kate Langdon Forhan. Hampshire, Eng.: Ashgate, 2002. 208p. $79.95 cloth, $29.95 paper

Extract

Kate Langdon Forhan has written an elucidating and thought-provoking book that explores the political relevance of the writings of Christine de Pizan, a fifteenth-century French writer. She clearly establishes the purpose of the book: “My goal is to outline in a systematic and comprehensive way the political theory of Christine de Pizan, in part to address the puzzle of her thought [and] to situate her ideas within the history of political ideas in general” (p. vi). She remains true to this goal throughout the work. Forhan cogently explains why Christine de Pizan's literary accomplishments should be appreciated beyond the disciplines of women's studies and French literature and, in particular, why her work needs additional attention from political theorists. In doing so, she presents sufficient historical details to set a proper stage against which Christine de Pizan's political theory may be understood, without burying the reader in minutiae and details that not only rob an academic tome of any literary vibrancy but also hinder the reader's ability or desire to follow an author's argument.