Old and New Masters

Robert Wilson LyndProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 430K words
Chapters: 43

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Old and New Masters by Robert LyndAuthor: Lynd, Robert, 1879-1949,Language: English, Class: PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections, Release Date: Jun 1, 2004

Editor's review

This book is a collection of literary criticism by the English essayist and critic Robert Lynd, focusing on old and new masters of literary history and commenting on writers and their works in an essayistic style. Lynd writes with ease and keen observation, adept at starting from details of works and qualities of character, making criticism as approachable and readable as conversation, revealing both literary judgment and human warmth. For readers who want to understand the character of early twentieth-century English critical essays without tackling overly difficult theoretical works, this is a suitable book for both introduction and leisure. Its value lies not in systematic construction of literary history, but in offering a gentle and insightful reading perspective that helps readers reconsider classic writers. It suits casual reading in fragmented time such as commuting or before sleep, and also serves as a source of leads for further reading, so that when one encounters a writer of interest one may seek out the original works for close reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers who enjoy English essays and prefer relaxed critical styles
Literature enthusiasts who want to understand the character of early twentieth-century literary criticism
Readers who need to expand their reading list of classic writers
Readers with good English reading ability who are willing to read original English essays

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking systematic literary history knowledge or theoretical frameworks
Those who prefer contemporary works and have little interest in early classic writers
Readers who struggle with English and need a Chinese translation

Reading tips

It is not necessary to read from beginning to end; one may first choose chapters on writers one is familiar with according to the table of contents.
When a writer is mentioned, note the book title as a lead for reading the original work later.
After finishing each piece, pause for a moment to recall the author's angle of evaluation, then compare it with one's own reading impressions.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a collection of criticism?

It is a collection of literary critical essays, commenting on old and new masters in literary history and their works. It is not a novel, nor a systematic literary history textbook. It is better read as a record of conversation with an insightful critic.

Can I read this book if my English is not good?

The book is in the original English, with an essayistic style; the sentences are not overly difficult, but a certain foundation in English reading is still required. If reading is difficult, one may first find Chinese translations or introductory articles about the relevant writers as preparation, then return to the original text.

Do I need to have read the works of the writers being discussed first?

Not all of them. For familiar writers, reading the criticism brings confirmation and inspiration; for unfamiliar writers, one may first read the criticism to gain an impression and then decide whether to seek out the original works. Both approaches work.

Comments

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About the author

Robert Wilson Lynd Author · Irish · 1879–1949

Robert Wilson Lynd (1879–1949) was an Irish essayist, journalist and literary critic. Born in Belfast and educated at Queen's University, he served for many years as literary editor of the London Daily News, writing a weekly essay under the pen name Y.Y. from 1913 to 1945—a column that ran for more than three decades. His essays and reviews range over literature and life, and his representative works include Old and New Masters, The Pleasures of Ignorance, The Art of Letters and The Book of This and That. His style is witty and humorous, finding interest and insight in everyday subjects. The library holds four of his works; common classification information is currently unavailable. Through his steady periodical writing and his light, intelligent prose, he holds a place in the English essay tradition of the first half of the twentieth century, and his work is still regarded as readable and reflective literary prose.