tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119816335163312523.post7235461919538869822..comments2023-04-27T04:39:45.647-04:00Comments on JT Thinks About Stuff: Book Review: Better Living Through CriticismJThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12170062950345779215noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119816335163312523.post-73403322167532155022016-09-30T10:32:26.249-04:002016-09-30T10:32:26.249-04:00That expresses it perfectly. The book is the kind ...That expresses it perfectly. The book is the kind of thing undergraduates muse about for hours. I'd have been less unimpressed if its title had been <i>A. O. Scott Thinks About Criticism</i>. (Hey, that kind of sounds like a catchy blog title!) Or if it had been shorter. Or if it had been less self-conscious. As it is, the book is not awful <i>per se</i>--but it <i>is</i> awfully self-indulgent.JThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12170062950345779215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119816335163312523.post-79887244889317402016-09-30T06:43:39.949-04:002016-09-30T06:43:39.949-04:00My undergrad degree was in comparative literature,...My undergrad degree was in comparative literature, and we spent an awful lot of time in this kind of mental exercise. I must admit that the sophomore in me understands and even enjoys it. That said, I'm not a sophomore anymore, and I was often disappointed by the lack of backbone you mention. I mean, say it clearly and make a point, please.seanovanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00288825590780391411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119816335163312523.post-10369400886923807332016-09-29T11:00:32.044-04:002016-09-29T11:00:32.044-04:00Yeah, but I'm not sure what his thinking is. C...Yeah, but I'm not sure what his thinking <i>is</i>. Criticism is both an art and a commentary on art. It's both necessary and frivolous. It's elitist, except that it's populist. It's the product of a courageous singleness of vision--no, it's the product of the collective <i>zeitgeist</i>. It's a dessert topping <b>and</b> a floor wax. I'm not exaggerating, either.JThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12170062950345779215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119816335163312523.post-69479889658220472642016-09-28T20:53:40.432-04:002016-09-28T20:53:40.432-04:00His thinking isn't yours and that's okay. ...His thinking isn't yours and that's okay. :)Varianorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09576040365080504873noreply@blogger.com