First published 1944
De Voto takes aim at the dominant literary criticism of his era. He argues that many celebrated theories about American literature rest on shaky foundations. The book examines how critics have misread major American writers and imposed false patterns on literary history. De Voto contends that much literary scholarship ignores the actual conditions under which writers worked. He challenges the notion that American literature follows predictable cycles or reflects simple social forces. The author insists that critics should focus on what writers actually wrote rather than abstract theories about what they should have written. De Voto offers readers a skeptical view of academic literary criticism and argues for a more grounded approach to understanding American books.
Genres: literary-criticism, american-fiction, 20th-century, american, non-fiction, criticism, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: academic-critique
Period: 20th-century
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