A History of Modern Criticism: 1750-1950 : English Criticism, 1900-1950
Partisans will doubtless quarrel with the evaluation and rank Wellek assigns to their favorites (D.H. Lawrence, Kenneth Burke, Ezra Pound to name a few), specialists will nitpick (as Wellek himself sometimes does), and adherents of the newer criticisms are likely to find Wellek condemning the very trends and tenets they most value. But no matter. In these two volumes, Wellek has brought together a comprehensive critical survey of the work of each major British and American critic of the past 50 years (along with a useful chronology of publication dates). His erudition is immense but his writing is always clear and clarifying, as are his judgments. One may wish for a succinct overview essay summing up the most significant developments in the period, but these books are in any case a valuable reference and beginning place for scholars, students, and interested laypersons to study modern British and American criticism. Richard Kuczkowski, Dir., Continuing Education, Dominican Coll., Blauvelt, N.Y.Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.