Truly honoured to be mentioned in such prestigious company! And all the best for your first literary event - it sounds great (since I'm on other side of the world, I'll have to be there only in spirit)
How was The Intellectuals and the Masses? It's on my list because I think someone recommended it to me when I was trying to find some sources on the period that were not just hagiographies of the Progressives written by progressives or unhelpful axe-grinding demonizations.
I didn't like it at all and gave it the dreaded Turkey Emoji. I think it is definitely the latter – it felt like a YA cancellation scandal, many instances where the thoughts of J. Alfred Prufrock or Clarissa Dalloway are taken as representing the view of their authors. And the central thesis (that modernism was an elite/eugenic reaction against "the masses") probably has some amount of truth to it but iirc doesn't account for the novel having to change as a result of radio, cinema etc. However I'm not unhappy I read it, it's entertaining gossip.
Honestly I don't know what John Carey's deal is, I remember a review of his Donne bio that quoted him calling "To His Mistress Going To Bed" a poem of rape or something like that. I'm kind of fascinated by him – what a grump!
Thanks. That's good to know. I might still read it for the gossip then. I'm looking for something that strikes the balance between these elitists hated the masses but that's okay because they made great art and didn't pretend to want to make anyone's lives better but these elitists also hated the masses but they wanted to control them through state power and policy for their own good and their art wasn't that great to boot.
Henry I really can't tell you how rare, precious and exciting it is to get a comment like yours - after reading it I couldn't sit still for several hours! Honestly that means the world and I'll remember it for decades. At last I have controlled myself enough to say thank you and wish the very best to you and yours for xmas and new year. I hope the event goes well and tell me if you're ever in London!
Truly honoured to be mentioned in such prestigious company! And all the best for your first literary event - it sounds great (since I'm on other side of the world, I'll have to be there only in spirit)
Wish I could come!
How was The Intellectuals and the Masses? It's on my list because I think someone recommended it to me when I was trying to find some sources on the period that were not just hagiographies of the Progressives written by progressives or unhelpful axe-grinding demonizations.
I didn't like it at all and gave it the dreaded Turkey Emoji. I think it is definitely the latter – it felt like a YA cancellation scandal, many instances where the thoughts of J. Alfred Prufrock or Clarissa Dalloway are taken as representing the view of their authors. And the central thesis (that modernism was an elite/eugenic reaction against "the masses") probably has some amount of truth to it but iirc doesn't account for the novel having to change as a result of radio, cinema etc. However I'm not unhappy I read it, it's entertaining gossip.
Honestly I don't know what John Carey's deal is, I remember a review of his Donne bio that quoted him calling "To His Mistress Going To Bed" a poem of rape or something like that. I'm kind of fascinated by him – what a grump!
Thanks. That's good to know. I might still read it for the gossip then. I'm looking for something that strikes the balance between these elitists hated the masses but that's okay because they made great art and didn't pretend to want to make anyone's lives better but these elitists also hated the masses but they wanted to control them through state power and policy for their own good and their art wasn't that great to boot.
Henry I really can't tell you how rare, precious and exciting it is to get a comment like yours - after reading it I couldn't sit still for several hours! Honestly that means the world and I'll remember it for decades. At last I have controlled myself enough to say thank you and wish the very best to you and yours for xmas and new year. I hope the event goes well and tell me if you're ever in London!
Thanks again, so much
George
I'm flattered, you're very welcome and same to you!