An Experiment in Criticism

An Experiment in Criticism

"An Experiment in Criticism" is a 1961 book by C. S. Lewis in which he proposes that the quality of books should be measured not by how they are written, but by how they are read. To do this, the author describes two kinds of readers. One is what he calls the "unliterary", and the other the "literary". He proceeds to outline some of the differences between these two types of readers. For example, one characterization of an unliterary reader is that the argument "I've read it before" is a conclusive reason not to read a book more than once. In contrast, literary readers reread books many times, savoring certain passages, and attempting to glean more from subsequent readings. Literary readers identify themselves with characters in favorite books; in many ways, literary readers define themselves by their favorite books.

Lewis also argued that judging books by whether they are "lowbrow" or "highbrow" is not necessarily fruitful; many "lowbrow" books prove to be valuable to a literary reader willing to approach without prejudgment. He noted that books classified as "lowbrow", such as science fiction, are also capable of inducing a passion to re-read and imparting experience which changes reader's worldview. Lewis suggests that books which are capable of doing this may prove to have enduring merit regardless of their genre of origin. He suggested that attempting to judge the literary merit of books based on traditional criteria may not prove fruitful.

External links

* [http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/lewiscs/experiment.htm The Complete Review's review of "An Experiment in Criticism"]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Criticism of relativity theory — Criticism of Albert Einstein s theory of relativity was mainly expressed in the early years after its publication on a scientific, pseudoscientific, philosophical, or ideological basis. Reasons for criticism were, for example, alternative… …   Wikipedia

  • Criticism of multiculturalism — questions the multicultural ideal of the co existence of distinct ethnic cultures within one nation state. Multiculturalism is a particular subject of debate in certain European nations that were once associated with a single, homogeneous,… …   Wikipedia

  • Criticism of postmodernism — has been intellectually diverse, but much of it has centered on the perception that postmodernism tries to deconstruct modernity and promote obscurantism in ways that are similar to reactionary movements of the past.[citation needed] Contents 1… …   Wikipedia

  • Criticism of libertarianism — Adherents of different ideologies have criticized libertarianism for various reasons.There are broadly two types of libertarians: consequentialists and rights theorists. [Barry, Norman P. Review Article:The New Liberalism. B.J. Pol. S. 13, p. 93] …   Wikipedia

  • Criticism of Windows Vista — This article is about the criticism that applies specifically to Vista. For criticism applying to several or all versions of Microsoft Windows, see Criticism of Microsoft Windows. This article is part of a series on Windows Vista New features… …   Wikipedia

  • Criticism of Traian Băsescu — Allegations of Communist related activitiesOver the years, Băsescu was repeatedly accused of involvement in the Communist regime s infamous Securitate. These allegations usually concentrate on his career, most notably on his nomination as chief… …   Wikipedia

  • Criticism of Wikipedia — Wikipedia is the largest free content encyclopedia project written by volunteers, as a result of which, it has attracted criticism. Notable criticisms include that its open nature makes it unauthoritative and unreliable (see Reliability of… …   Wikipedia

  • Criticism of fast food — Fast food has come under criticism over concerns ranging from claimed negative health effects, alleged animal cruelty, cases of worker exploitation, and claims of cultural degradation via shifts in people s eating patterns away from traditional… …   Wikipedia

  • Criticism of Adobe Flash — Adobe Flash as a format has become very widespread on the desktop market and created a market dominance. Adobe Systems claims that 98% of all Internet desktop users worldwide (and 99.1% of US/Canada Web users) have the Flash Player installed,… …   Wikipedia

  • Stanford prison experiment — The Stanford prison experiment was a study of the psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. The experiment was conducted in 1971 by a team of researchers led by psychologist Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University. Twenty four… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”