reviews
Feb 26, 2008
Brynn
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This is a must read for anyone interested in art or interested in the creative process. Gardner calls a spade a spade in his book, drawing a clear line between what art is and what it is not. Gardner is about a million times more intelligent and articulate than I am, but what I gleaned from Gardner is essentially this: Art is motivated by love. Art is not pointing to the black abyss and describing how black and deep and dark it is (which, from what I understand, were what most of the movies n
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Sep 06, 2010
Amy
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This book was featured on a list of books to inspire writers in Paste magazine. It is basically a critique of how literature should be judged based on the writer's exploration of morality. Gardner argues through most of this book that both Art and Art criticism are filled with jargon and removed from discussing anything on an intellectual or emotional level. He credits his examples of what art should be by drawing from the likes of Homer, Plato, Aristotle, and Dante. He thinks their work repr
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Feb 20, 2009
Adrienne
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Although I don't agree with all of Gardner's criteria for "moral fiction" (he almost acts as though there are only three authors who have the ability to write such literature), this book made me think about the importance, role, and value of literature more than many books I've read. Gardner is very concerned with the process of writing (discovering as he/she goes) and is frustrated with authors (and critics) who only focus on technique. He feels that literature (and all art) always
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Dec 17, 2009
Sharon
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Gardner proposes a strong moral stance for authors to follow if we are to produce good writing. He moves into ethical territory that few critics dare enter and states his views with conviction. Even though I have not seen him follow his ethical definitions in his own novels, he puts forth good and solid principles about how to judge a classic. Fascinating reading.
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Dec 02, 2011
Sean
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Most of the force behind Gardner's arguments evidently lies on misreadings of Freud (now all but debunked as useful anyway, making this a straw man argument) and misinterpretations of Sartre, not to mention completely disregarding anything Wittgenstein wrote after his famed Tractatus.
He fails to identify ideas on morality from John Rawls or Immanuel Kant, ideas on morality that don't require any religion to arrive at.
He dismisses post-modernism (sic) as inherently pointle More...
He fails to identify ideas on morality from John Rawls or Immanuel Kant, ideas on morality that don't require any religion to arrive at.
He dismisses post-modernism (sic) as inherently pointle More...
Sep 05, 2009
Jeremy
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First, I like it because it offers immense insight into some decent writing (Gardner's fiction). I mean decent.
However, the guy is an asshole. He pans better authors (Gass, Elkin--ELKIN! He dastn't). He is so small and such a shallow reader (I am no great reader of difficult books, but I understand Elkin's work, and see clearly that he has a stringent ethical/moral paradigm) that he must label these other authors--whose only offense is to play with language, to attempt to find ex More...
However, the guy is an asshole. He pans better authors (Gass, Elkin--ELKIN! He dastn't). He is so small and such a shallow reader (I am no great reader of difficult books, but I understand Elkin's work, and see clearly that he has a stringent ethical/moral paradigm) that he must label these other authors--whose only offense is to play with language, to attempt to find ex More...
Jun 05, 2011
Charlotte
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This seemed a little dated, and also very obstreperous. Gardner really doesn't like lots of writers, and he's very very convinced that he's right about almost everything. Still, he's a great advocate for the importance of literature, and for the value of the poet, I'm just not positive that I agree with his difinition of what constitutes "the moral" and that so many people fail at it. The last couple of chapters were my favorite, perhaps because I know so little about Wittgenstein and
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Dec 07, 2009
Lee
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Great book. I've been working on a movie review blog that comments on the moral value of movies, and Gardner's book has added a lot of value to my critical analysis process. The first part of the book was most valuable to what I needed, subtitled, "Premises on Art and Morality."
He says that all art should to some extent promote good. A few quotes from his book,
He says that all art should to some extent promote good. A few quotes from his book,
"If art destroys good, mistaking it for evil, then that art is false, an error; it requires deMore...
Jul 18, 2011
Nicole
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While I may not agree with all the statements Gardner makes, I agree with the majority. And with the statements I don't agree with, he argues them so well that I can completely understand why he states them. The book is about artist and criticism. Gardner focuses how on work should be critiqued and how so many fail to properly criticize. He points out several authors, those he favors and those he does not, and uses their work, most of them popular works, to show how critics don't always know wha
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Dec 24, 2010
Greg
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I started reading On Moral Fiction because of a quote and a comment by a newspaper editorialist whose work I have enjoyed. Literary criticism is a ways outside of my education and experience, but I was intrigued, and decided to pick up a copy of the book and read it. In the end, I did not read the whole book, only a little past the middle, but I read the part that was of most interest to me, and that addressed issues in which I am interested. Some of my thoughts (and quotes from Gardner’s work)
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Nov 17, 2010
YES!! I've been going on about this sort of thing for months now. This is one of the most important books I've read in years.
"What we see around us is, for the most part, dramatization without belief or else opinion untested by honest drama. William Gaddis has named the problem in JR, though he himself doesn't escape it: 'believing and shitting are two different things.'
"... Insofar as literature is a telling of new stories, literature has been 'exhausted' for centuries; More...
"What we see around us is, for the most part, dramatization without belief or else opinion untested by honest drama. William Gaddis has named the problem in JR, though he himself doesn't escape it: 'believing and shitting are two different things.'
"... Insofar as literature is a telling of new stories, literature has been 'exhausted' for centuries; More...
Apr 14, 2011
Patrick
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Gardner argues that moral fiction is life-affirming, the product of an author's discovering the truths his or her characters embody by faithfully engaging a fictional process he lays out in greater, more accessible detail in "The Art of Fiction." Pointed, terse, and confrontational, this book, as do all of Gardner's treatises on the art, challenges the would-be writer to think honestly and carefully about craft.
Jan 21, 2011
Gregory
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This little book is a great defense against crap in fiction. Gardner argues against the postmodern flotsam that is today considered high art. Its high art all right, but it is not morally straight.
The book is very helpful to create clarity in the haze that has been created by the ivory towered tenured writer who instead of making art that is clearly understood, makes art that is just confusing or plain gibberish at its best.
I would add this book to my collection, because it would serve
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May 14, 2010
Bill
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At first I thought this book was written out of sour grapes. You know, a "lesser" author taking a bite out of his more popular contemporaries. I think there's still a bit of that in this book. However, Gardner's point that there should be a moral vision to an artist's work--good or bad--is a valid one, I feel. And this book is well worth contemplating.
Apr 22, 2011
Clark
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Man, that guy disliked some good writers. Not my favorite Gardner book--as much a cultural critique as book about fiction--but worth reading. I'd stick with On Becoming a Novelist, unless you are a real Gardner fan, or want to see who he annoyed/savaged with his critical eye. Very readable, even though the subject is difficult.
Jun 01, 2007
Max
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This is a book for artists primarily, especially those starting to wonder if there is any actual purpose to their work. Rilke writes to the artist uncertain of how to relate to himself, while Gardner writes to the artist uncertain of what good his art can do. Gardner sketches an outline of a philosophy that art is life-affirming and helps instruct, not so much by providing examples of conduct as by providing examples of emotional development and choice. His vision resonates with my search for
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Aug 31, 2010
LeAnne
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I borrowed this first from the library, but immediately took it back and bought my own copy because I could see it would be impossible to read without underlining.
Sep 24, 2011
Jim
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Loved the beginning and his arguments for a moral fiction. When he tried to explain and grounds for morality without any grounds at the end, I got impatient. Mostly a winner though.
Nov 08, 2010
Dan
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John Gardner spoiling for a fight with basically every major contemporary. Incredibly entertaining whether you agree or disagree with his conclusions about true art being "preservation of the world of god and men", and if you agree it's entertaining and reaffirming—a call to literary arms.
May 04, 2011
A. T.
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This was a fascinating and captivating book on the morality of fiction and how stories "mean." How do they create meaning and why should we care. Full of plenty of insight for the avid reader, and the aspiring writer, and all presented from an generally Christian worldview.
Sep 20, 2011
Lauren
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Really? A few things John Gardner says make sense. The majority of it on the other hand is asine conceited bullcrap. Though it would be fun to see him explode at all the modern fiction, e-literature, blogging travesties everywhere.
Apr 23, 2008
Richard
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A must read for anyone who writes fiction. It had a huge impact on not only my own writing, but how I analyze the writings of others.
Mar 28, 2008
Christopher
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This pretty much defines my approach to literature (both reading it and writing it). "True art is by its nature moral."
'Nuff said.
'Nuff said.
Aug 09, 2011
Tess
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After reading this, you'll never want to read a beach book again, realizing the sad state of what sells in this country.
Jun 11, 2008
I'm not sure if I'll make it through this anytime soon... but this man is a genius.
Feb 13, 2012
