THE ART OF READING

Name: THE ART OF READING
Author: Damon Young
ISBN: 978-1-911344-18-6

by Damon Young ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 10, 2018

While Young's latest may be the essence of bookish preoccupation, it is a worthy challenge to read bravely, to regard...

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A philosopher and ardent bibliophile assesses desirable qualities—curiosity, patience, pride, courage, temperance, justice—applied to the reading and comprehension of literature, powers the attentive reader can learn to wield.

Young (How to Think About Exercise, 2014, etc.) offers a useful, erudite, and often arresting survey of philosophical thought featuring both renowned figures in the discipline (Plato, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Schopenhauer) and those less well known, as well as penetrating takes on novelists Virginia Woolf, Jorge Luis Borges, Henry James, and others. Scarcely a page goes by that Young is not quoting two or three other writers to underscore or illustrate a point, which proves to be a double-edged approach. Though illuminating, occasionally it smacks of ruminative padding. Throughout, the author expresses himself gracefully and remains grounded most of the time, though some passages are unnecessarily dense and overintellectualized, even for a philosopher. He also can take an entire essay to elucidate a principle that could be dealt with in a few paragraphs, and the narrative features engrossing arguments that, at times, can be carried too far. However, Young’s approach is agreeably individualistic and evenhanded. He presents, analyzes, and sometimes judges but always gives concepts a fair hearing. In youth, the written word gave the author liberty to think, perceive, and feel with greater awareness, a passion he communicates with verve. The book is of value to any serious reader but will be particularly instructive for young, insufficiently cautious literary critics, or critics in general. The most companionable chapter is the last, “The Lumber Room,” in which the author discusses the contents of his personal library—the source of many of his reflections and a sort of advance scout for ambitious readers.

While Young's latest may be the essence of bookish preoccupation, it is a worthy challenge to read bravely, to regard deeply, and to weigh ideas with discernment and generosity.

Pub Date: April 10, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-911344-18-6

Page Count: 176

Publisher: Scribe

Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.