Anatomy of Criticism：Four Essays

Strikingoutattheconceptionofcriticismasrestrictedtomereopinionorritualgesture,NorthropFryewrotethismagisterialworkproceedingontheassumptionthatcriticismisastructureofthoughtandknowledgeinitsownright.Infourbrilliantessaysonhistorical,ethical,archetypical,andrhetoricalcriticism,employingexamplesofworldliteraturefromancienttimestothepresent,Fryereconceivedliterarycriticismasatotalhistoryratherthanalinearprogressionthroughtime.Literature,Fryewrote,is"theplacewhereourimaginationsfindtheidealthattheytrytopassontobeliefandaction,wheretheyfindthevisionwhichisthesourceofboththedignityandthejoyoflife."Andthecriticalstudyofliteratureprovidesabasicway"toproduce,outofthesocietywehavetolivein,avisionofthesocietywewanttolivein."HaroldBloomcontributesafascinatingandhighlypersonalprefacethatexaminesFrye'smodeofcriticismandthought(asopposedtoFrye'scriticismitself)asbeingindispensableinthemodernliteraryworld.