To Criticize the Critic and Other Writings

by T.S. Eliot

These influential essay and lectures by T. S. Eliot span nearly a half century--from 1917, when he published The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, to 1961, four years before his death. With the luminosity and clarity of a first-rate intellect, Eliot considers the uses of literary criticism, the writers who had the greatest influence on his own work, and the importance of being truly educated. Every thoughtful person who yearns to do more than simply get through the day will be reinforced by The Aims of Education. Other pieces include To Criticize the Critic, From Poe to Valéry, American Literature and the American Language, What Dante Means to Me, The Literature of Politics, The Classics and the Man of Letters, Ezra Pound: His Metric and Poetry, and Reflections on Vers Libre.

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction, Criticism, Education, Literary Criticism, Books About Books, Classics

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Thomas Stearns Eliot was a poet, dramatist and literary critic. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948 "for his outstanding, pioneer contribution to present-day poetry." He wrote the poems The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, The Waste Land, The Hollow Men, Ash Wednesday, and Four Quartets; the plays Murder in the Cathedral and The Cocktail Party; and the essay Tradition and the Individual Talent. Eliot was born an American, moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 (at the age of 25), and became a British subject in 1927 at the age of 39.

See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T.S._Eliot

Reviews

[Amy Neftzger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was familiar with the poetry of T.S. Eliot, but I had not read any of his essays when I saw this book in a local store and picked it up. His points are well constructed and logical, and while some individuals may find the writing dry I enjoyed his insights. What caught my attention was how he evaluated the criteria used by art and literary critics in creating their standards. For example, a common art criticism today is that something isn't original enough. However, as Eliot points out, originality is sometimes a crutch used to compensate for lack of form or other substance in the work. In other words, the work of art should be evaluated as a whole and not on isolated criteria.

I wouldn't blindly recommend this book to readers. The content is excellent, but it will appeal to a smaller audience. If you thrive on understanding art, literature, and the standards of criticism then this is a book you will love.

[Adam Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. The four chapters on education are the best part of the book, as well as his essay on classical education and the "man of letters."

[Nicholas]

To criticize the critic, and other writings by T. S. Eliot (1965)

[Jenny Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Så himla bra.

[Marina]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12491977

[Ygraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"there is only good verse, bad verse and chaos."