Criticism in the Wilderness

Criticism in the Wilderness: The Study of Literature Today Geoffrey Hartman's 1980 work examines the relationship between literary criticism and creative literature, challenging traditional hierarchies that separate the two forms. The book advances a bold argument for treating literary criticism as a creative art form in its own right. Hartman analyzes works by Jacques Derrida, Norman O. Brown, Thomas Carlyle, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge to demonstrate how criticism can achieve the same creative and intellectual complexity as canonical literature. His exploration includes detailed discussions of how literature professors navigate their roles within academic institutions while maintaining intellectual independence. The book considers the broader implications of criticism's place in literary discourse and academia, examining how critical writing serves both scholarly and creative functions. Through this lens, Hartman questions fundamental assumptions about the nature of writing, interpretation, and literary value in modern academic discourse.

Readers describe this as a dense theoretical work that examines literary criticism's role in culture. Reviews emphasize Hartman's detailed analysis of critics like Derrida and Bloom while questioning traditional approaches to criticism. Liked: - Deep engagement with critical theory - Strong defense of criticism as a creative art - Clear explanations of complex theoretical concepts - Useful for graduate-level literary studies Disliked: - Writing style seen as unnecessarily complex - Arguments can be repetitive - Some find it too abstract/removed from practical criticism - Dated references and examples Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (12 ratings) Amazon: Not enough reviews for rating From reviews: "Hartman makes a compelling case for criticism as a form of literature in itself" - Goodreads reviewer "The prose is difficult but rewards careful reading" - Academic blog comment "Too focused on theory at expense of practical application" - LibraryThing review Few public reviews exist online, as this book is primarily read in academic settings.

The Ethics of Reading by J. Hillis Miller The book examines how critical reading transforms into an ethical act through detailed analysis of literary theory and deconstruction.

The Critical Difference by Barbara Johnson Johnson's work bridges creative writing and literary theory through examination of critical practices across multiple disciplines and texts.

The Anxiety of Influence by Harold Bloom This text presents a theory of poetry through the lens of how writers respond to their predecessors, linking creative and critical processes.

Critical Practice by Catherine Belsey The book connects structuralist theory with practical criticism through examination of critical methodologies and their applications.

The Location of Culture by Homi Bhabha Bhabha's text merges cultural theory with literary criticism to explore how meaning emerges in critical discourse and cultural analysis.

🔖 Hartman coined the term "words-worth" in literary criticism, playing on the poet Wordsworth's name to describe how language gains cultural value over time 📚 The book's title "Criticism in the Wilderness" alludes to the Biblical phrase "a voice crying in the wilderness," suggesting criticism's role as a prophetic or transformative force 🎓 Geoffrey Hartman escaped Nazi Germany through the Kindertransport program in 1939, an experience that deeply influenced his literary perspectives and academic work ✍️ As a founding member of the Yale School of Deconstruction, Hartman worked alongside influential figures like Paul de Man and Harold Bloom to revolutionize literary theory 📖 The book was published in 1980 during a pivotal moment in literary studies when deconstruction and poststructuralist theory were dramatically reshaping academic approaches to literature