Criticism - Softcover

William Crary Brownell

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0461630400 ISBN 13: 9780461630404

Publisher: HardPress, 2021

Synopsis

Criticism by William Crary Brownell examines the theory, purpose, and practice of Criticism as a distinct field rather than merely the act of reviewing books. Brownell argues that Criticism should be a broader, more permanent enterprise, differentiating it from routine reviewing and treating it as a discipline that engages with the moral and material dimensions of art. The work outlines field and function, equipment, criterion, and method, asserting that the critic must possess a cultivated general culture—history, esthetics, and philosophy—along with a sensitivity to life. Drawing on European and American traditions, Brownell surveys Sainte-Beuve, Taine, Poe, Arnold, and others to illustrate how critics can fuse personal insight with universal standards. He champions a rational criterion for judgment, balancing reason with taste, and argues that Criticism must be constructive, synthetic, and attentive to the personality and idea behind works of art. The work defends Criticism as essential to interpreting art's relation to life and to shaping a mature public, while distinguishing Criticism's aims from mere opinions or fashionable impressionism.

Edition details

• Publisher: HardPress
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0461630400
• ISBN 13: 9780461630404
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 103