The Moral Obligation to Be Intelligent: Selected Essays
Trilling (1905-74) epitomized the idea of the 1950s New York intellectual. In opposition to the prevailing theories of the New Critics, he adopted a broader approach: the study of the interconnections between literature and culture. This collection features 32 of his essays on a range of topics, from Jane Austen to George Orwell, from the Kinsey Report to Lolita. Also included are Trilling's seminal essays "Art and Neurosis" and "Manners, Morals, and the Novel." Initially appearing in periodicals like the Partisan Review and Commentary, most of these pieces were later reprinted in Trilling's essay collections, which included The Liberal Imagination, Beyond Culture, and the posthumously published Speaking of Literature and Society. Recommended for public and academic libraries, especially those lacking the earlier collections.-William Gargan, Brooklyn Coll. Lib., CUNYCopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.