Great Books
Simon & Schuster · Paperback · September 25, 1997
*NATIONAL BESTSELLER* “A lively adventure of the mind...The tone of the prose...is one of unqualified enthusiasm: energy, vigor, intellectual curiosity, and what might be called an ecstasy of imaginative journalism.” —The New York Times Book Review At the age of forty-eight, writer and film critic David Denby returned to Columbia University and re-enrolled in two core courses in Western civilization to confront the literary and philosophical masterpieces -- the "great books" -- that are now at the heart of the culture wars.
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- Who it’s for
- A personal return to classic texts becomes a lively blend of criticism, cultural commentary, and self-discovery.
- Themes
- Western classics and culture wars, Literary rediscovery, Self-discovery and cultural commentary
- Genres
- Books & Reading, Writers' Lives, Education
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*NATIONAL BESTSELLER* “A lively adventure of the mind...
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The tone of the prose...is one of unqualified enthusiasm: energy, vigor, intellectual curiosity, and what might be called an ecstasy of imaginative journalism.” —The New York Times Book Review At the age of forty-eight, writer and film critic David Denby returned to Columbia University and re-enrolled in two core courses in Western civilization to confront the literary and philosophical masterpieces -- the "great books" -- that are now at the heart of the culture wars. In Great Books, he leads us on a glorious tour, a rediscovery and celebration of such authors as Homer and Boccaccio, Locke and Nietzsche. Conrad and Woolf. The resulting personal odyssey is an engaging blend of self-discovery, cultural commentary, reporting, criticism, and autobiography -- an inspiration for anyone in love with the written word.
Reading the Greats
A personal return to classic texts becomes a lively blend of criticism, cultural commentary, and self-discovery.
Come here for
- Homer, Boccaccio, Locke, Nietzsche, Conrad, and Woolf
- A curious reader’s encounter with the books at the heart of culture wars
Expect
- Literary criticism braided with reporting and autobiography
- An enthusiastic, intellectually curious reading experience
Where it sits
| Books & Reading | 82% |
|---|---|
| Education | 20% |
| Writers' Lives | 16% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Education
- Literary Criticism
- 20th-Century Literary Criticism
- Authors
- David Denby
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster
- Published
- September 25, 1997
- Format
- Paperback
- Theme
- Western classics and culture wars · Literary rediscovery · Self-discovery and cultural commentary
- Reading lane
- Education