Why You Can't Trust Authors as Critics

Virginia Woolf, normally a very fine commentator showed herself wrong, egregiously wrong, in at least two instances: James Joyce, and now, I'm brought to remember, Henry James.  An author's criticism is too often based on their own writing preferences, and so they will see nothing in other authors from whom they have borrowed too much or read too little.  Woolf may not like James, but as with Joyce, much of what she writes is tremendously influenced by him.

Comments

  1. Steven - I suspect Woolf's blindspot with these two has more to do with her deep-seated snobbery. As I said in reply to your comment on my blog, the use of the word 'vulgar' is like a giveaway with Woolf's criticism.

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