Lost Puritan: A Life of Robert Lowell

Lowell's (1917-1977) difficult life and path-breaking work as a so-called confessional poet are well considered by critic, poet and biographer Mariani ( Dream Song: The Life of John Berryman ), who, rather than offer a large-scale critical reassessment, concentrates on the daunting personal complexities and chronologies of the manic-depressive writer. Lowell's difficulties included his uneasy moral heritage (giving way to spiritual crises) as a member of one of New England's august families, and the obligations he experienced as an only child; his periodic breakdowns, seemingly not preventable by medicine or doctors; and his general recklessness. In aiming for sustained characterization over a more academic treatment, Mariani keeps a reader's attention; during his research, he had access to previously unavailable correspondence. One hopes that Mariani's biography will help lead Americans back to a writer who is seminal, if now neglected. Photos not seen by PW. (Sept.)