Home Books The Bright Book of Life: Novels to Read and Reread

The Bright Book of Life: Novels to Read and Reread

The Bright Book of Life: Novels to Read and Reread

by Harold Bloom

Knopf ·2020 ·544 pages
Bottom of the Pile
Bottom of the Pile
I Index
22/99
Bottom of the Pile

3/99

Critics' Rating Index

Maybe Someday

40/99

Readers' Rating Index

n/a

Scholars' Citation Index

34/99

Volume of Reviews

22/99

Volume of Reader Ratings

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About This Book

In his first book devoted exclusively to narrative fiction, America's most original and controversial literary critic and legendary Yale professor writes trenchantly about fifty-two masterworks spanning the Western tradition. Perhaps no other literary critic but Harold Bloom could--or would--undertake a project of this immensity. And certainly no other critic could bring to it the extraordinary knowledge, understanding, and insight that are the hallmark of Bloom's every book. Ranging across centuries and continents, this final book of his career, gives us the inimitable critic on Don Quixote and Book of Numbers; Wuthering Heights and Absalom, Absalom; Les Miserables and Blood Meridian; Vanity Fair and Invisible Man; The Captain's Daughter and The Reef. He writes about works by Austen, Balzac, Dickens, Tolstoy, James, Conrad, Lawrence, Wolff, Le Guin, Sebald, and many more. Whether you have already read these books, or intend to, or simply care about the importance and power of fiction, Harold Bloom serves as an unparalleled guide through the pages of these 52 masterpieces of the genre.


Reviews

"I wish Bloom, who died in 2019, could have sometimes appreciated writers for what they are rather than grading them on a curve."

Wendy Smith· The Washington Post Read review ↗ Bottom of the Pile

"He candidly analyzes what he considers a novel's shortcomings and where he differs with other critics' assessments."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Near the Top

"With loquacious reflection made palatable by thoughtful, meaty prose--underscored by lengthy excerpts from each title--Bloom makes the case for why these timeless works of fiction remain important and powerful."

Shelf Awareness Read review ↗ Near the Top

"The Bright Book of Life is not the incisive criticism the literary community has come to seek from Bloom."

Shelby Smoak· The New York Journal of Books Read review ↗ Maybe Someday

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