Aspects of Fiction and Other Ventures in Criticism Book PDF, ePub eBook

Join our eBook service for unlimited books & audiobooks. Get a free 7 day subscription! ↓↓↓↓↓


Book Descriptions:
From the beginning of the first chapter.

The history of mankind is little more than the list of the civilizations that have arisen one on the ruin of the other, the Roman supplanting the Greek, as the Assyrian had been ousted by the Babylonian. The life of each of these successive civilizations was proportioned to the vitality of the ideas by which it was animated; and we cannot estimate it or even understand it except in so far as we are able to grasp these underlying principles. What the ideas were which dominated these vanished civilizations it is for us to discover for ourselves as best we may by a study of all the records they left behind them, and especially by a reverent examination of their laws, their arts, and their writings in so far as these have been preserved to us. Of all these relics of peoples now dead and gone, none is so instructive as literature, and none is so interesting; by its aid we are enabled to reconstruct the past, as we are also helped to understand the present.

Of the literatures which thus explain to us our fellow-man as he was and as he is, three seem to me pre-eminent, standing out and above the others not only by reason of the greater number of men of genius who have illustrated them, but also by reason of their own more persistent strength and their own broader variety. These three literatures are the Greek, the French, and the English.

There are great names in the other modern languages, no doubt—the names of Dante and of Cervantes and of Goethe, than which, indeed, there are none greater. In French literature, however, and in English there are not wanting names as mighty as these. Fortunately, the possession of genius is not the privilege of any one language, of any one country, or of any one century. Where French literature and English can claim superiority over Italian, Spanish, and German is rather in sustaining a higher average of excellence for a longer period of time. The literature of the Italian language, of the Spanish, and of the German has no such beadroll of writers of the first rank as illustrates the literature of the French and of the English.

There is perhaps no more manly instrument of precision than the Latin language, none which better repays the struggle for its mastery; but Latin literature, if not second-rate, when tried by the loftiest standards, is at least secondary, being transplanted from Greece and lacking resolute roots in its own soil. Nor is any dispute possible as to the high value of Hebrew literature; as Coleridge declared with characteristic insight, "sublimity is Hebrew by birth"; but Hebrew literature has not the wide range of the Greek, nor its impeccable beauty.

Aspects of Fiction and Other Ventures in Criticism by Brander Matthews

From reader reviews:

Carlos Wesley:

Nowadays reading books be a little more than want or need but also work as a life style. This reading addiction give you lot of advantages. Advantages you got of course the knowledge the particular information inside the book in which improve your knowledge and information. The info you get based on what kind of e-book you read, if you want attract knowledge just go with knowledge books but if you want feel happy read one along with theme for entertaining for instance comic or novel. The Aspects of Fiction and Other Ventures in Criticism is kind of e-book which is giving the reader unforeseen experience.

Paul Birch:

The e-book untitled Aspects of Fiction and Other Ventures in Criticism is the publication that recommended to you to learn. You can see the quality of the book content that will be shown to an individual. The language that article author use to explained their ideas are easily to understand. The writer was did a lot of research when write the book, hence the information that they share to your account is absolutely accurate. You also might get the e-book of Aspects of Fiction and Other Ventures in Criticism from the publisher to make you considerably more enjoy free time.

Elaine Harvey:

Aspects of Fiction and Other Ventures in Criticism can be one of your beginner books that are good idea. All of us recommend that straight away because this book has good vocabulary that can increase your knowledge in vocabulary, easy to understand, bit entertaining but still delivering the information. The writer giving his/her effort to place every word into joy arrangement in writing Aspects of Fiction and Other Ventures in Criticism although doesn't forget the main point, giving the reader the hottest and based confirm resource info that maybe you can be one of it. This great information can certainly drawn you into brand-new stage of crucial thinking.

Betty Dansby:

In this era globalization it is important to someone to get information. The information will make a professional understand the condition of the world. The condition of the world makes the information better to share. You can find a lot of personal references to get information example: internet, classifieds, book, and soon. You will see that now, a lot of publisher that will print many kinds of book. Often the book that recommended to your account is Aspects of Fiction and Other Ventures in Criticism this book consist a lot of the information from the condition of this world now. This kind of book was represented so why is the world has grown up. The language styles that writer value to explain it is easy to understand. The particular writer made some analysis when he makes this book. That is why this book suitable all of you.