imrogers's review against another edition
3.0
Lots of Goodreads reviewers smarter than me have written much better explanations of why this book on a VERY important topic ultimately falters. Yes, creative writing programs have been the dominant force in literary production since WWII, but No, I don't want to read 400 pages of Mark McGurl's dense academic prose about why this is true.
As others have pointed out, the first few chapters are more lucid in exploring literary trends (the Vladimir Nabokov, Thomas Wolfe, and Flannery O'Connor discussions are ultimately quite effective as case studies for relating to academia), but in later chapters the book devolves into a disorganized mess of theory that unfortunately lacks much coherence.
You're frankly better off reading the first half of the book, then reading Elif Batuman's review essay "Get a Real Degree," which smartly and succinctly counters McGurl's more absurd claims: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v32/n18/elif-batuman/get-a-real-degree
As others have pointed out, the first few chapters are more lucid in exploring literary trends (the Vladimir Nabokov, Thomas Wolfe, and Flannery O'Connor discussions are ultimately quite effective as case studies for relating to academia), but in later chapters the book devolves into a disorganized mess of theory that unfortunately lacks much coherence.
You're frankly better off reading the first half of the book, then reading Elif Batuman's review essay "Get a Real Degree," which smartly and succinctly counters McGurl's more absurd claims: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v32/n18/elif-batuman/get-a-real-degree
gregbrown's review against another edition
4.0
An awesome book if you're already interested in the premise: exploring most of 20th century American literature through the lens of the creative writing program, and how many can be easily and beneficially understood as reactions to that program. However, it's a rough ask if you aren't, since the chapters are incredibly long—up to 70 pages in length—and constitute a free-flowing narrative on the different elements of creative writing programs and how they're instantiated in up to a dozen cases each chapter. If you think you might be interested, I'd first recommend reading the unexpectedly-large amount of reaction commentary in "mainstream" lit journals: n+1, London Review of Books, and even the New Yorker.
A pretty rad book all told, but not quite rad enough or well-constructed enough to recommend to a general audience.
A pretty rad book all told, but not quite rad enough or well-constructed enough to recommend to a general audience.
natlib91's review against another edition
3.0
the first eighty pages of this are great and everyone even slightly interested in modernism and its legacy should read it. mcgurl's central insight that universities, in their role in training, professionalising and hiring readers/writers are the primary focal point for the production and re-production of literary value and prestige is pretty bang on and i'd love to see it explored further outside of the american context
from page eighty onwards mcgurl is getting more into his case studies, so close readings of the careers of flannery o'connor, ken kesey, barthelme especially as these crossed over with the actual creative writing workshops in question and i didn't find a huge amount of interest here, a lot of the promise contained in the original historical sweep gets left behind a bit
from page eighty onwards mcgurl is getting more into his case studies, so close readings of the careers of flannery o'connor, ken kesey, barthelme especially as these crossed over with the actual creative writing workshops in question and i didn't find a huge amount of interest here, a lot of the promise contained in the original historical sweep gets left behind a bit
wmhenrymorris's review against another edition
Much more literary analysis and theory and much less history than I expected. McGurl achieves what one should in the post-po-mo domain of literary studies and does it with clarity and flair.
schmub's review against another edition
4.0
A compelling argument that places the creative writing program at the center of postwar fiction. It's a premise that makes so much sense and an argument so persuasive that in retrospect I can't believe someone hasn't carried out this analysis already. It's also extremely readable. My only major complaint is that the book doesn't need to be as long as it is.
ilchinealach's review against another edition
3.0
the first eighty pages of this are great and everyone even slightly interested in modernism and its legacy should read it. mcgurl's central insight that universities, in their role in training, professionalising and hiring readers/writers are the primary focal point for the production and re-production of literary value and prestige is pretty bang on and i'd love to see it explored further outside of the american context
from page eighty onwards mcgurl is getting more into his case studies, so close readings of the careers of flannery o'connor, ken kesey, barthelme especially as these crossed over with the actual creative writing workshops in question and i didn't find a huge amount of interest here, a lot of the promise contained in the original historical sweep gets left behind a bit
from page eighty onwards mcgurl is getting more into his case studies, so close readings of the careers of flannery o'connor, ken kesey, barthelme especially as these crossed over with the actual creative writing workshops in question and i didn't find a huge amount of interest here, a lot of the promise contained in the original historical sweep gets left behind a bit
zachkuhn's review
4.0
Stuff on Cuckoo's Nest and Ken Kesey is great. A bit too "scholarly" for my taste. But well done. Took me almost five years to read the whole thing. Not a criticism. Just the truth.
More...