{"product_id":"2026100009756-secondhand-an-experiment-in-criticism","title":"An Experiment In Criticism","description":"\u003cp\u003eEdition: First Edition\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Very good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: Worn\/faded, no tears\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good\u003cbr\u003eCondition remarks: Boards in good condition. Binding remains tight. Clean and bright copy. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat if the true measure of a book's worth lies not in the text itself, but in the quality of the reader who receives it? In An Experiment in Criticism, C. S. Lewis boldly inverts the traditional framework of literary evaluation, arguing that we ought to judge literature by the kind of reading it invites rather than by abstract critical standards imposed from without. Published in 1961, this landmark work of literary theory presents a radical yet elegantly reasoned proposition: that a good book is one capable of being read with genuine attention, openness, and imaginative engagement — a standard that cuts across genre and cultural prestige alike.\n\nLewis writes with the characteristic clarity and wit that defined his public intellectual career, drawing on his vast knowledge of classical and medieval literature to challenge the gatekeeping tendencies of mid-century academic criticism. An Experiment in Criticism argues passionately for the democratisation of reading, insisting that the act of losing oneself fully in a narrative is not escapism but a profound enlargement of human experience. For anyone who has ever felt judged for their reading choices — or who has questioned the authority of the literary establishment — Lewis's enduring provocation remains as urgent and illuminating as ever.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49203118932187,"sku":"2026100009756-SECONDHAND","price":200.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/f48072eb-36c6-4abd-88ae-695b19289946.png?v=1788144456","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026100009756-secondhand-an-experiment-in-criticism","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}