Tag Archives: literary criticism

H.P. Lovecraft’s “Supernatural Horror in Literature”

Posted on August 22, 2018 by

I am in the midst of an extended reading of Stephen King‘s Dark Tower Cycle, including the extra books that connect most intimately with King’s great mythic universe (see Mathew Olson’s essay here; I’m rereading ‘Salem’s Lot now with Wolves … Continue reading →

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Tolkien’s “I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but size)” in Context

Posted on September 22, 2017 by

I don’t know that there is any more famous Tolkien quote than his claim to, in fact, be a hobbit. It’s really quite a delightful statement and worth quoting more fully: I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

John Lawlor on C.S. Lewis’ “The Allegory of Love”

Posted on May 22, 2017 by

The Allegory of Love … is a work which has all the authority of a mind of the highest quality marking out clear paths in a complex and absorbing mass of material. As such it effortlessly joins company with that … Continue reading →

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George Watson’s Provocative Comments on C.S. Lewis as Literary Critic

Posted on February 22, 2017 by

One of the advantages of finding new libraries is that the librarian’s skill of book-buying is more art than science. The librarians I know, despite their adept use of analytics, have as much curator or architect in them as they … Continue reading →

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New Approaches to Academic Writing: An Unusual Marking Note for a Good Student

Posted on December 8, 2016 by

I am at that time of year when the marking pile on my desk is higher than my laptop screen. Like a fool, each year, I go into the marking expecting great things. So far, I have never had a … Continue reading →

Posted in On Writing, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Shocking, Horrifying, You-Can’t-Believe-It! Reason This Blogger Isn’t Taking A Break

Posted on November 29, 2016 by

Last week I wrote a rather personal post about how I was drowning in work. As converging rivers can crush stone, my worlds of work and study have crashed in upon my already eroded personal strength. Even after taking steps … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

An Essential Reading List from C.S. Lewis: An Experiment on An Experiment in Criticism

Posted on August 4, 2016 by

On A Pilgrim in Narnia we have been playing with lists of the key books to read–what we might call a “canon.” We’ve thought about the key books of Western literature (here and here), thought about the problems of this discussion, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 72 Comments