{"product_id":"on-empson-michael-wood-9780691163765","title":"On Empson","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom one of today's most distinguished critics, a beautifully written exploration of one of the twentieth century's most important literary critics\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAre literary critics \u003ci\u003ewriters\u003c\/i\u003e? As Michael Wood says, \"Not all critics are writers--perhaps most of them are not--and some of them are better when they don't try to be.\" The British critic and poet William Empson (1906-84), one of the most important and influential critics of the twentieth century, was an exception--a critic who was not only a writer but also a great one. In this brief book, Wood, himself one of the most gifted writers among contemporary critics, explores Empson as a writer, a distinguished poet whose criticism is a brilliant literary performance--and proof that the act of reading can be an unforgettable adventure. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDrawing out the singularity and strength of Empson's writing, including its unfailing wit, Wood traces the connections between Empson's poetry and criticism from his first and best-known critical works, \u003ci\u003eSeven Types of Ambiguity\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSome Versions of Pastoral\u003c\/i\u003e, to later books such as \u003ci\u003eMilton's God\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Structure of Complex Words\u003c\/i\u003e. Wood shows why this pioneer of close reading was both more and less than the inventor of New Criticism--more because he was the greatest English critic since Coleridge, and didn't belong to any school; and less because he had severe differences with many contemporary critics, especially those who dismissed the importance of an author's intentions. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBeautifully written and rich with insight, \u003ci\u003eOn Empson\u003c\/i\u003e is an elegant introduction to a unique writer for whom literature was a nonstop form of living.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Michael Wood\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0691163766\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780691163765\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Princeton University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/04\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.40lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.40h x 4.80w x 0.90d","brand":"Michael Wood","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43988214546687,"sku":"9780691163765","price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_d41e38ef-3e11-44bb-80ad-1ac79ded6d0e.jpg?v=1683293258","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/on-empson-michael-wood-9780691163765","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}