Man Is An Onion: Reviews And Essays
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Condition: Good. Jacket: Worn/faded - no tears. Page Condition: Good with some foxing. Markings: No markings. Binding condition: Good.
Sharp, witty, and uncompromising, D.J. Enright's Man is an Onion is a masterclass in literary criticism that peels back the layers of post-war literature with the precision of a surgeon and the sensibility of a poet. Gathering his finest reviews and essays, Enright presents a sweeping survey of mid-twentieth-century writing, casting a discerning eye over fiction, poetry, and culture with his characteristic blend of erudition and mordant humour. His prose is never dry or academic — it crackles with intelligence and a deep moral seriousness that refuses to mistake obscurity for profundity. Enright, himself a distinguished poet and man of letters, argues for a literature that remains tethered to human experience, accessible without being simplistic, challenging without being wilfully obscure. The collection illustrates his rare gift for holding a text accountable to the world it inhabits, drawing on his years teaching and writing across Asia and Europe to bring a genuinely cosmopolitan perspective to English letters. For those who believe literary criticism can itself be an art form, Man is an Onion remains a quietly indispensable volume — one that rewards the careful reader with the kind of insight that only deepens on reflection.
Author: D.J. Enright
Format: Hardback
Published: 1972, Chatto & Windus
Genre: Essays
Condition remarks:
Condition: Good. Jacket: Worn/faded - no tears. Page Condition: Good with some foxing. Markings: No markings. Binding condition: Good.
Sharp, witty, and uncompromising, D.J. Enright's Man is an Onion is a masterclass in literary criticism that peels back the layers of post-war literature with the precision of a surgeon and the sensibility of a poet. Gathering his finest reviews and essays, Enright presents a sweeping survey of mid-twentieth-century writing, casting a discerning eye over fiction, poetry, and culture with his characteristic blend of erudition and mordant humour. His prose is never dry or academic — it crackles with intelligence and a deep moral seriousness that refuses to mistake obscurity for profundity. Enright, himself a distinguished poet and man of letters, argues for a literature that remains tethered to human experience, accessible without being simplistic, challenging without being wilfully obscure. The collection illustrates his rare gift for holding a text accountable to the world it inhabits, drawing on his years teaching and writing across Asia and Europe to bring a genuinely cosmopolitan perspective to English letters. For those who believe literary criticism can itself be an art form, Man is an Onion remains a quietly indispensable volume — one that rewards the careful reader with the kind of insight that only deepens on reflection.