The Western Canon

The Books and School of the Ages

By: Harold Bloom

Narrated by: James Armstrong

Length: 22 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Harold Bloom explores our Western literary tradition by concentrating on the works of twenty-six authors central to the Canon. He argues against ideology in literary criticism; he laments the loss of intellectual and aesthetic standards; he deplores multiculturalism, Marxism, feminism, neoconservatism, Afrocentrism, and the New Historicism.

Insisting instead upon "the autonomy of aesthetic," Bloom places Shakespeare at the center of the Western Canon. Shakespeare has become the touchstone for all writers who come before and after him, whether playwrights, poets, or storytellers. In the creation of character, Bloom maintains, Shakespeare has no true precursor and has left no one after him untouched. Milton, Samuel Johnson, Goethe, Ibsen, Joyce, and Beckett were all indebted to him; Tolstoy and Freud rebelled against him; and while Dante, Wordsworth, Austen, Dickens, Whitman, Dickinson, Proust, and the modern Hispanic and Portuguese writers Borges, Neruda, and Pessoa are exquisite examples of how canonical writing is born of an originality fused with tradition.

©1994 by Harold Bloom (P)1997 by Blackstone Audiobooks

The pronunciation of "Borges" is wrong!

What made the experience of listening to The Western Canon the most enjoyable?

The book is too long for me. Having it on audio makes it feel like attending a series of lectures, and it's much easier.

A true master of literature

This is a wonderful book. Bloom is terrific except that overdoes his complaints about diversity and technology. For lovers of literature the canon continues to be important.

Bloom's True Masterpiece Performed Better Than He

If you could sum up The Western Canon in three words, what would they be?

The Western Canon is Bloom at his natural bent, doing what he was meant to do: defend great literature from the poo poo pseudo-popes of political poppycock.

What about James Armstrong’s performance did you like?

Armstrong does a good enough job, mainly in sounding as we might imagine Bloom to actually sound (though Bloom's own actual reading voice is cracking and brittle in comparison).

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Bloom made me see my own perceptions of canonical authors in light of his own long savoring of them, which is exactly the best one could ever get from Bloom.

Any additional comments?

Bloom DESTROYS Freud, which is a special bonus.

For every student and teacher of literature

This book helps reinforce why the classics are classic and why this generation needs to pass this wisdom to the next.

Preserving the integrity of Western lit

What made the experience of listening to The Western Canon the most enjoyable?

The complexity of Bloom's argument.

What other book might you compare The Western Canon to and why?

Anatomy of Criticism, which advances a similar thesis.

Have you listened to any of James Armstrong’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Impossible

Any additional comments?

The narrator mispronounces several words.

Great Book

If you could sum up The Western Canon in three words, what would they be?

A great book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

You can't listen to this in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

This is an audiobook which requires attention. You need to focus because Bloom, especially in the first part of the book, jumps topics and makes references that require the listener's attention. I listen for about 30 minutes and then do something else or return the following day. He does expect a lot from the reader, but if you haven't read King Lear or Dante or The Wasteland, I wouldn't let that stop you from getting all you can from this book. I haven't read Lear but haven't found that to be an insurmountable obstacle. Again, this is a great book and I'm getting a lot out of it, but I recognize that this is going to be a long term listen...30 minutes to an hour a day and I have to pay attention, otherwise I get lost or lose track of his arguments. I'm considering buying the book so that I have a more permanent form of this and can make notes and highlight passages I find important. I think this is important, especially considering the constant attacks on the Western tradition...you need to have counter arguments and have considered why these books are important...Bloom helps you to make a case.

Very Helpful, Thank You!

Harold Bloom purportedly does not believe in audiobooks. I was surprised, therefore, to see that his greatest work of literary criticism is available through Audible. And it does not disappoint. This is one of the greatest works of literary criticism of our time, and reading it for the first time changed my life. While the audio is not a masterpiece, it is tolerable and is a great help when trying to read this text all the way, cover to cover. Plus, it is the only audio recording of this book available, so I really can't complain. I am so grateful for this book and audiobook, and I wish more of Professor Bloom's books were available through Audible.

Dense and Difficult but Worthwhile

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Dense and difficult for me to make meaningful. Rather than blame Harold Bloom's book for my difficulty, I think perhaps it's the same difficulty a student might experience when first learning how to interpret x-ray images and other medical imaging. It probably takes the same type of applied determination. Nevertheless, as an audible book, it's worthwhile and promises more where a person is willing to study and unpick the densely written prose. In an odd way, I feel that the book passes judgment on me in a way that I can't hope to pass judgment on it: I trust it's authoratative in the same way that I'm just beginning to learn about literature. And by the way, there's another title on Audible about the western canon that is much easier for a fresh face to start with: The Western Literary Canon in Context by Professor John M. Bowers. This series of lectures is very straight forward and the topic's parts have been expertly articulated. For my money, at my level of understanding anyway, the latter title is a better investment of time and money.

What other book might you compare The Western Canon to and why?

The Western Literary Canon in Context by Professor John M. Bowers - covers similar ground but is plain and straight forward. This title from The Great Courses is a series of lectures that seem to articulate a difficult topic with ease.

What about James Armstrong’s performance did you like?

Great delivery even where the recording itself is a little 'sub-prime'

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No, it's heavy going all the way through

Any additional comments?

I'm motivated to study more and perhaps read more by Harold Bloom

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a book that states its case clearly and sets out to map the milestones of an entire culture. i have to admit, i found it heavy going at 22 hours but if you're less shallow than me and if you want to know why certain authors have been held as worthy of praise, check this one out.

The Western Canon by Harold Bloom

If you could sum up The Western Canon in three words, what would they be?

Wise, erudite, enlightening.

What other book might you compare The Western Canon to and why?

The Western Canon is unlike any other book I've read. However, although they are very different, if you liked David Denby's Great Books, you'll like The Western Canon.

Would you be willing to try another one of James Armstrong’s performances?

No. The man is an ignoramus. He mispronounces the names of many of the greatest writers and philosophers of the western tradition. He clearly has never heard of Jorge Luis Borges, Foucault, Nietzsche, and many others, and it shows in his reading.