The question of the canon has been the subject of debate in
academic circles for over fifteen years. Pleasure and Change
contains two lectures on this important subject by the
distinguished literary critic Sir Frank Kermode. In essays that
were originally delivered as Tanner Lectures at Berkeley in
November of 2001, Kermode reinterprets the question of canon
formation in light of two related and central notions: pleasure and
change. He asks how aesthetic pleasure informs what we find
valuable, and how this perception changes over time. Kermode also
explores the role of chance, observing the connections between
canon formation and unintentional and sometimes even random
circumstance. Geoffrey Hartmann (Yale University), John Guillory
(New York University), and Carey Perloff (director of the American
Conservatory Theatre) offer incisive comments on these essays, to
which Kermode responds in a lively rejoinder. The volume begins
with a helpful introduction by Robert Alter. The result is a
stimulating and accessible discussion of a highly significant
cultural debate.
The issue of the canon has been debated in academic circles for
over fifteen years. Pleasure and Change contains two lectures on
this important subject-delivered as the Tanner lectures at Berkeley
in November of 2001-by the distinguished literary critic Sir Frank
Kermode. Kermode bypasses the contentious and now somewhat tired
ideological debates about the canon, instead exploring the two
related and central notions of pleasure and change: how aesthetic
pleasure plays into what we find valuable, and how this can change
over time.
"A refreshing departure from the nasty academic jousting that often passes for a debate about the canon.... [Kermode's] reasoned advocacy is a reminder why literature and criticism are equipment for living."--Bookforum "Most impressive and satisfying.... It addresses the heritage and the literary culture of our time with greater subtlety than any other writing I know."--Charles Rosen, Times Literary Supplement (International Books of the Year 2004) "Kermode's wit and impressive breadth of reference make Pleasure and Change a compelling contribution to a debate that shows no sign of approaching a resolution."--Adam Smyth, Times Literary Supplement
Sir Frank Kermode is Professor Emeritus, University of Cambridge.
Inhaltsangabe
Introduction PLEASURE AND CHANGE 1. Pleasure 2. Change COMMENTS 3. The Passing of the Canon 4. It Must Be Abstract 5. The Artist and the Canon REPLY TO COMMENTATORS 6. On the Comments of the Discussants Index
