'Quinones's book is a superb piece of work that will appeal not only to scholars but also to the learned general reader. Juxtaposing the lives and writings of Erasmus and Voltaire, Quinones makes good on his claim that comparison brings an added dimension to entities by drawing them into a new web of relationships. '[Quinones's] comparisons are subtle and nuanced, ... Read moreand his methodology sound. He rigorously ties psychological readings to text-critical analyses and has an admirable grasp of the mentalit of the two movements, humanism and Enlightenment, represented by the protagonists ... The book has many commendable features. It showcases the author's erudition and his impressively broad reading. It offers original and insightful interpretations of the writings of Erasmus and Voltaire and argues them convincingly.'
Erika Rummel Renaissance Quarterly, Fall 2010 (63:03:10) 'Subtle and grounded in historical and biographical events ... Erasmus and Voltaire: Why They Still Matter is a book to be read by both Renaissance and Enlightenment scholars.'
Guy Poirier Erasmus Society Yearbook 'Deploying a magisterial command of the literary, historical, and philosophical scholarship ... Quinones finds in the dualisms and skeptical optimism of Erasmus and Voltaire a relevance that resonates with the modern world.'
Thomas L. Cooksey South Atlantic Review Show Less