Saturday, September 22, 2007

A good read

I recently finished reading The Educated Imagination, a series of lectures by Northrop Frye in which he asks what literature really is and answers what we ought to use it for--questions that tend to be taken for granted.

Frye is, in most circles, considered to be the most renowned literary critic of the 20th Century. He was a primary aid in shaping literary criticism as a discipline several decades ago, claiming that many literary critics perform while maintaining a use of ideology. The critical study of English literature is still a baby. Not like philosophy, which is another of my loves.

The reason I wanted to make mention of this book is because of its presentation. If its reader has the beginnings of an interest in studying literature, this book intuitively presents a method of criticism much more readable to most than some of the other pillar critics such as Jacques Derrida or Roland Barthes. So if you wish to learn about a view of the study of literature, you might want to look it up.

That being said, I have in my mind the idea that perhaps the discussion of literature is a dry topic to some readers. I'm studying English and Philosophy in school, however, so such topics are usually at the front of my mind, or near to it. But if you are yawning, I do apologize. You could always read Harry Potter.

Or, if you need a quick jump. Watch this amazingness:



Listening to:
Matthew Good - Hospital Music
Rebekah Higgs - Rebekah Higgs

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

that video is hilarious.

hannah love said...

hi scott
its hannah!

Anonymous said...

Scott. just wanted to let you know im here and reading
and love you so.