Best literary criticism?

[AThornquist]

I remember Ruben suggesting CS Lewis's literary criticism (particularly A Preface to Paradise Lost) in order to understand and learn about how to write well. What are some other great works of literary criticism?

Thanks

 

[py3ak]

Samuel Johnson, Lives of the English Poets (contains more than the biography). Aldous Huxley has numerous essays that engage in a good deal of solid criticism, showing how verbal and grammatical features reinforce a certain reaction to the meaning. Chesterton can come in handy as well.

By the way, I don't think I said that Preface to Paradise Lost was the best (I think that distinction goes to The Discarded Image), but that it was a good place to start.

 

[Reformed Thomist]

I remember Ruben suggesting CS Lewis's literary criticism (particularly A Preface to Paradise Lost) in order to understand and learn about how to write well. What are some other great works of literary criticism?

Thanks

The works of Northrop Frye.

 

[AThornquist]

By the way, I don't think I said that Preface to Paradise Lost was the best (I think that distinction goes to The Discarded Image), but that it was a good place to start.

This statement is correct.

Thank you for the suggestions guys. I just ordered Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained with A Preface to Paradise Lost so I'll be adding these new suggestions to my list of to-dos.

 

[py3ak]

For a contemporary who can be read online for free, you might check out Robert Pinsky's poetry column in Slate. I don't always agree, but he has not forgotten common sense.