Chapter 29 literature is an art

When the "Saturday Evening Post" published the two articles on English literature and European literature, many readers hoped that I would write another article on American literature.The editor of the evening paper thought it was a good proposal, so he entrusted this task to me.I told the editor that this article should be handed over to an American writer, but it was obvious that the readers didn't want that, so I could only promise with trepidation that the editor of the Evening News would do his best.Here I would like to make a few points.First off, while I've read a lot of American stuff (I read Artemis Ward's books when I was ten, and Helen's Boys, laughing my ass off), I can't say it compares to some loving Americans who read.this is normal.When I choose books, I am very random, and every country has some books that only people in their own country like, but people from other countries will find it boring to read.For example, from my standpoint, I don't think it's necessary to read Jonathan Edwards, and the dialect in Uncle Remus is just too difficult to navigate.Secondly, the views I express in this article are just my own opinion.I will explain my point of view in the article, but this is after all an Englishman's point of view, so it is inevitably biased.I also understand that some of my views are contrary to the mainstream commentary in the United States, so they are likely to attract dissatisfaction.Third, I only looked for books that were American in character, and largely disregarded British influences.An American work that appeals to me must have a strong local flavor.I dare not say what I will talk about next, what Americans can learn from it, but maybe I can introduce a few books for readers in other countries, including my compatriots, that can give a little understanding of the so-called American characteristics after reading.In this way, they can understand where the national character of the United States comes from, so as to better integrate into the increasingly frequent exchanges in the future.

I'm only going to talk about books that are already considered classics.I don't want to talk about modern works.One reason is that I am not familiar with them.The second reason is that a large number of books have been published in the past fifty years, and it is too early for me to evaluate which is typical and meaningful.Some critics believe that if a book is extremely popular and a bestseller, it is worthless.This view is not correct, and such classics were once very popular.Similarly, the view that a bestseller is a classic is also biased.A book can attract readers for various reasons, but when those reasons lose color, the book becomes unreadable.I never read bestsellers that have only been out for two or three years, because you'd be surprised how many acclaimed books don't do you much, and you have nothing to lose by not reading them.

I would like to reiterate what I have repeatedly said before: One should read for enjoyment.In my opinion, it is unwise to treat reading as a task.Reading is a pleasure, one of the best things in life, so if what I'm about to recommend doesn't move, interest, or delight you, there's no reason to read any more.Although I dare not claim to be an expert in American literature, it is precisely based on this consideration that I am somewhat confident when writing this article.I know that my understanding of American literature is not complete, so I read two or three authoritative histories of American literature when preparing materials.I want to compare my point of view with the most authoritative evaluation, and when the two are inconsistent, I will examine whether I need to revise my point of view.However, I was surprised to find that almost all the literary historians are concerned about things that I think have nothing to do with literature.They often take pleasure in detailing the social conditions prevailing when this or that writer was writing and the political climate that influenced the work.Of course, their comments were not wrong.

They like to discuss the writer's views on social current affairs and examine the philosophical thinking contained in his thoughts.There is nothing wrong with that.But they don't seem to care about the author's writing style, whether the structure of the work is rigorous, whether the plot design is exquisite, and whether the characterization is innovative.As for readability, they don't even mention it.Therefore, in my opinion, these gentlemen who care about the country and the people have completely overlooked one point: reading is for pleasure, and literature is an art. Literature itself is an art.It is not philosophy, not science, nor social economy, nor politics. It is an art, and art is born for pleasure.

Before proceeding to the works I have chosen, I hope you will not expect the works mentioned in this chapter to be as exciting as the works mentioned in the previous two chapters. "Genius" is a word that is often used loosely, but I don't place that crown on a writer who has written three or four successful plays, or two or three successful novels.Genius is so rare for me that I would be uneasy if the word were applied to any of the writers in this chapter.To say they are talented is enough.Among these writers, some are brilliant, while others are a bit mediocre, and most of them have a literary road full of thorns.Whether they are aware of it or not, in order to create a literature with national characteristics, they must try their best to break free from the shackles of foreign literature.This is not easy, because not only are they limited by their own education, but readers are also biased.They lived in a young country, in which practical matters were the first priority and art had to be relegated to the background in the endeavor to form its own civilization.Some writers could not adapt to such surroundings and fled to Europe, which they considered a more pleasant atmosphere.And those writers who sensibly stayed on, under more favorable circumstances, would have produced better books.I say this because despite the odds, they produced something extraordinary, which shows that they were indeed creative and talented.American literature is still very young, and it has only experienced more than a hundred years so far.You know, if the entire eighteenth century is erased from the history of English literature, English literature will no longer be a magnificent monument of the British spirit (of course, Chaucer, Shakespeare and a group of great poets and essayists of the seventeenth century are excluded. outer).What would our literature be without Pope, without Swift, without Fielding, without Dr. Johnson, without Boswell.