Tag Archives: literary criticism

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

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

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 An Experiment in Criticism, books, C.S. Lewis, canon, Deconstructionism, literary criticism, literary history, Narnia, Reader Response Criticism, Reading, Sherlock Holmes, The Western Canon, writing | 90 Comments

Harold Bloom’s “The Western Canon”

Posted on July 11, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

Harold Bloom’s The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages was a sensation when it appeared in 1994. Harold Bloom, a curmudgeonly anti-academic ivy league scholar, fills this challenging read with fresh insights on every page. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research, Reviews, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged books, C.S. Lewis, canon, Charles Dickens, Charles Williams, Dante, fantasy, feminism, Harold Bloom, J.R.R. Tolkien, Leo Tolstoy, literary criticism, literary history, Milton, mimesis, Reading, Shakespeare, T.S. Eliot, The Western Canon, Ursula K. LeGuin | 39 Comments

Call for Submissions

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

I have been pleased to have had a blog published at the Fellowship of the King. They have now sent out a call for poetry, short stories, and essays. Check it out! “The Fellowship of The King” (www.thefellowshipoftheking.net) is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Writing, News & Links | Tagged art, C.S. Lewis, fantasy, g k chesterton, George MacDonald, History, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, liberal arts, literary criticism, philosophy, theology, writing | 18 Comments

The Astonishing Power of a Book about Nothing: Woolf’s “Orlando”

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

I have just finished reading Virginia Woolf’s Orlando: A Biography. It is a shocking, confusing, and engaging book. I am reeling from this … well, I’ll call it a novel. And I can say almost nothing about it or it … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged A Room of One's Own, art, C.S. Lewis, culture, feminism, gender, literary criticism, On Stories, Orlando, Theology of Culture, Virginia Woolf | 19 Comments

“…In the Vacant Places” by T.S. Eliot

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

It is the weekend, and I am in the mood for a little treat. C.S. Lewis was a slow convert to T.S. Eliot’s poetry. In fact, Lewis was part of an entire club dedicated to mocking the modern poetry movement … Continue reading →