The Irresponsible Self by James Wood
The common thread in Wood's latest collection of essays is what makes us laugh - and the book is an attempt to distinguish between the perhaps rather limited English comedy (as seen in Waugh, for example) and a 'continental' tragic-comedy, which he sees as real, universal and quixotic.
Wood is one of the finest critics at work today, heir to Coleridge, Hazlitt and VS. Pritchett...He combines the breadth and seriousness of Edmund Wilson with the pellucid prose style of Cyril Connolly...Wood pursues his craft with a high seriousness the like of which we had not thought to see again after the death of Lionel Trilling -- John Banville * Irish Times *
Breathtakingly good... James Wood is pretty much as good a general critic of literary fiction as you'll find writing in English at the moment * The Times *
A stylish writer as well as a clear-sighted reader. His prose bristles with the sort of epigrammatic brilliance that asks challenging questions even when providing answers * Spectator *
The most urgent and morally demanding critic around is the brilliant James Wood... A second powerful collection * Guardian *
This is a collection to be read by anyone who wouldn't normally dream of reading literary criticism * Financial Times *
Breathtakingly good... James Wood is pretty much as good a general critic of literary fiction as you'll find writing in English at the moment * The Times *
A stylish writer as well as a clear-sighted reader. His prose bristles with the sort of epigrammatic brilliance that asks challenging questions even when providing answers * Spectator *
The most urgent and morally demanding critic around is the brilliant James Wood... A second powerful collection * Guardian *
This is a collection to be read by anyone who wouldn't normally dream of reading literary criticism * Financial Times *
Born in Durham in 1965, James Wood has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2007. He was the chief literary critic at the Guardian from 1992 to 1995, and a senior editor at The New Republic from 1995 to 2007. His books include How Fiction Works, which has been translated into fifteen languages.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781844130979 |
| ISBN 10 | 1844130975 |
| Title | The Irresponsible Self |
| Author | James Wood |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Vintage Publishing |
| Year published | 2005-09-01 |
| Number of pages | 320 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |