HUMANITIES

by Desmond MacCarthy ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 4, 1954

The polished British critic, best known for his many years with The New Statesman ancollects a few of his essays in a volume which is both a credo of his life and a delight to read. Of his youth, in a section ""Early Stages"", Sir Desmond pays homage to the inspiration of Shaw and the Fabian movement, the tenets of the socialist philosophy that, though limiting, provide man with the framework for equal possibility for all. The drama criticism, in which he excelled, defines his reactions to Chekhov, Joyce, Ibsen among others, and while astute in its appreciation of an individual performance- is also an estimate of the moral meaning of the work. Other sections on T. S. Eliot as a critic, and other writers, pursue this last point- the question of values- as do two early short stories. The preface, by Lord David Cecil, indicates MacCarthy's concern with the moral center of human character, and his book is both a testament and a demonstration of true critical judgement. Limited.

Pub Date: March 4, 1954

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Oxford

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1954

Categories: NONFICTION