A review of Falling Hour by Geoffrey D. Morrison (Coach House Books, 2023)
On many of the Big Questions of literary theory, I’m a centrist, or worse, a waffler. I tend to see both sides, probably to the point of not giving either of them their due. Politically, I’m a socialist, and I do find Marxist literary criticism generative, but I don’t think Marxist literary criticism has anything near the last word on the subject. I even find myself at times sympathizing with their diametrical opposite, the New Critics. To square this circle I tend then to lean heavily on those who forged a path between the two, the Auerbachs, the Fryes, the Kazins, even the Trillings (Lord forgive me)—yes, the liberals, more or less.