Why do we read literature and how do we judge it? C. S. Lewis's classic An Experiment in Criticism springs from the conviction that literature exists for the joy of the reader and that books should be judged by the kind of reading they invite. He argues that 'good reading', like moral action or religious experience, involves surrender to the work in hand and a process of entering fully into the opinions of others: 'in reading great literature I become a thousand men and yet remain myself'. Crucial to his notion of judging literature is a commitment to laying aside expectations and values extraneous to the work, in order to approach it with an open mind. Amid the complex welter of current critical theories, C. S. Lewis's wisdom is valuably down-to-earth, refreshing and stimulating in the questions it raises about the experience of reading.
| ISBN: | 9781107604728 |
| Publication date: | 29th March 2012 |
| Author: | C S Lewis |
| Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 152 pages |
| Series: | Canto Classics |
| Genres: |
Literary studies: general |
Why do we read literature and how do we judge it? C. S. Lewis's classic An Experiment in Criticism springs from the conviction that literature exists for the joy of the reader and that books should be judged by the kind of reading they invite. He argues that 'good reading', like moral action or religious experience, involves surrender to the work in hand and a process of entering fully into the opinions of others: 'in reading great literature I become a thousand men and yet remain myself'. Crucial to his notion of judging literature is a commitment to laying aside expectations and values extraneous to the work, in order to approach it with an open mind. Amid the complex welter of current critical theories, C. S. Lewis's wisdom is valuably down-to-earth, refreshing and stimulating in the questions it raises about the experience of reading.
An Experiment in Criticism features in the following genres: Literary studies: general
An Experiment in Criticism is available in Paperback, Hardback
An Experiment in Criticism was written by C S Lewis and published by Cambridge University Press
An Experiment in Criticism has 152 pages
Yes it is part of Canto Classics series
£15.30