David Auerbach
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Posts Tagged "literature"
Check out all of the posts tagged with "literature".
Middlemarch and Mary Garth
People often forget Mary Garth in George Eliot’s Middlemarch. She is the third heroine of the book, not as idealistic as Dorothea and not as shallow as Rosamond, but wittier and probably smarter than both. Much of the critical work on Middlemarch barely mentions her.
The Profoundest Profundities Ever Propounded
Just to contrast with Christine Brooke-Rose’s criticism. Language can only begin with the void; no fullness, no certainty can ever speak; something essential is lacking in anyone who expresses himself. Negation is tied to language. ...
The Criticism of Christine Brooke-Rose
Novelist and critic Christine Brooke-Rose passed away recently. Chicago Blog has a good round-up of the many tributes to her. I had earlier reviewed Xorandor critically, but with great respect for what she had tried to ...
Lucan’s Civil War
Civil War (also known as the Pharsalia) must stand as a contender for the weirdest and craziest epic poem of all time. I recommend reading the introduction below first, then reading through the commentary posts in order. Commentary ...
Lucan’s Civil War: Last Thoughts
The last two and a half books of Civil War, while seemingly adrift and lacking the cumulative direction of the first seven, don’t make me think any less of the epic as a whole. Lucan’s ...
Lucan’s Civil War: Caesar’s Fall and the Ending
The Pharsalia … has no privileged center except for the energetic, bitter, and witty skepticism that devotes itself to demolishing the structures it erects as fast as it erects them; Lucan’s heroes lend their zestful ...
Lucan’s Civil War: Cato Hates Snakes
With Pompey dead, Book IX of Civil War, the action moves to Egypt, where Caesar will ally with Cleopatra. But most of Book IX is taken up by Cato and his army. Cato was a ...