The Critic In The Modern World: Public Criticism From Samuel Johnson To James Wood

Description

The Critic in the Modern World explores the work of six influential literary critics - Samuel Johnson, William Hazlitt, Matthew Arnold, T.S. Eliot, Lionel Trilling and James Wood - each of whom occupies a distinct historical moment. It considers how these representative critics have constructed their public personae, the kinds of arguments they have used, and their core principles and philosophies. Spanning three hundred years of cultural history, The Critic in the Modern World considers the various ways in which literary critics have positioned themselves in relation to the modern tradition of descriptive criticism. In providing a lucid account of each critic's core principles and philosophies, it considers the role of the literary critic as a public figure, interpreting him as someone who is compelled to address the wider issues of individualism and the social implications of the democratising, secularising, liberalising forces of modernity.

Promotion info

Explores the work of six influential literary critics, across three centuries, in order to consider the role of the literary critic as a public figure

Author description

James Ley (PhD, University of Western Sydney) has been a literary critic for fifteen years. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including The Age, Australian Book Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian and the Times Literary Supplement.

Table of contents

Introduction 1. A Degree of Insanity: Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) 2. Fire from the Flint: William Hazlitt (1778-1830) 3. A Thyestean Banquet of Clap-Trap: Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) 4. The Principles of Modern Heresy: T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) 5. 'I do like the West and wish it would stop declining': Lionel Trilling (1905-1975) 6. The Secular Wood: James Wood (1965- ) Postscript Bibliography