The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages

593 Pages·1994·6.48 MB·English

by  Harold Bloom

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THE
WESTERN
CANON
ALOS BYH AROLDB LO O M
TheA mericRaenl ig(i1o9n9 2)
TheB ooko fJ (1990)
Ruitnh Se acreTdr ut(h1s9 89)
PoetoifcI sn flue(nr9 c e88 )
The StLrionggho tft heC aonnic(a1l9 87)
AgonT:o wardasT heoroyfR evisio(n1i9s8m2 )
TheB reakoifnt gh Vee sse(l1s9 82)
TheF ligthoLt u ci:f eGArn ostFiacn ta(s1y9 79)
WalalcSet eveTnhse: PooefmO su rC lima(t1e9 77)
FiguroefCs a pbalIem agina(t1i9o7n6 )
Poetarnyd R epersosni( 1976)
A Mapo fM irseadi(rn 9 g 57 )
Kabbalaahn dC riti(c1i9s7m5 )
TheA nxieotfIy n flue(n1c9e7 3)
TheR ingeirnts h Teo werS:t udiine s
RomantTirca dit(i1o9n7 1)
Yeat(s1 970)
CommentaornDy a viVd. E rdmnas'E dition
ofT hPeo reyat nPdr oosfWe i llBilaam(k 1e96 5)
Blkae'Asp ocasley( p1963)
TheV isionCaormypa ny( 1961)
Sheelyl'Msy thmaki(n19g5 9)
THE
WESTERN
CANON
ThBeo okSsc hifot ohAleg es
and
HAROLD BLOOM
HARCOURT BRACE & COMPANY
New YorkS anD iegoL ondon
Copyrigh1t9©9 4b yH arolBdl oom
Alrlghi tsr eserveNdo. p arotf t hipsu blicatmiaoyn
ber eproduocret dr ansmiittnae ndy f ormo rb ya ny
meanse,l ectroornm iecc haniicnacll,u dpihnogt ocopy,
recordionrga ,n yi nformasttioorna agnedr etrieval system,
withopuetr missiinwo rni tifnrgo tmh ep ublisher.
Requesftosrp ermisstiomo ank ec opioefs
anyp arotf th e works houlbedm ailteod:
PermissiHoanrsc,o uBrrta c&e C ompany,
62.77S eaH arboDrr ivOer,l andFol,o ri3d2.a8 87-6777.
LibraorfCy o ngress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
BloomH,a rold.
Thew estecrna nont:h eb ookasn ds choooflt hea ges/
byH arolBdl oom.-resdt.
p. em.
Inclubdiebsl iograrpehfiecraelan ncdei sn dex.
ISBNo -15-195747-9
I.C anon( Literat2.u.Lr iet)e rature-Hainsdct roirtyi cism.
I.T itle.
PN8r.B545 1993
809-dC2.0 93-43542
Texste itn S ab on
DesignbeydC a milFlial ancia
Printientd h eU nitSetda toefsA merica
Firesdti tion ABC DE
For
ANEN FREEDGOOD

Contents
PrefacPer elaundde
I
I ONT HECA NO N I3
AnE lefgoytrh Cean onI 5
I.
II THEA RSIT COR ATcI A GE 43
ShkaespeCaernotee,ftr hC ea non
2. 4 5
3.T hSert anegseosnfD antUeyl:s saensBd ea trice
76
4· Chuac:eT rhWei foef hB,tah tPera doner,
anSdah kespeCahraaecratne r
I o 5
CervaTnhtPeel sao:fyt hWeo rld
5. I2 7
6.M ontaaingMdno el i:Te hrCeea noanlEil cusiveness
oft he Truth
I46
7· Mil'tSsota naann Sdh easkeparIe6 9
8.D rS.ma ueJlo hntshoCena ,n onCirciatli c
I83
I Contse nt
v 111
Gothee's ThCeo untenriccaanlo
9· FausPta,r Ttw o:
Poem
203
III T A
HE DEMOCRATICG 237
E
Io .C annoicMaelm oirnEy a rly Wtohar ndds wor
JanAeu s'tse n
Persuasi2o3n9
I.I Walt WhaisCt emnatonfet rhA em eriCcaannno
264
EmiDlciyk in:Bs loannTkrsa,n stphoDerar tks ,
I2. 29I
I.3 ThCea nocnaiNlo v:eD licsks'e n
BleaHko use,
GegoerE loit's
Middlemar3c oh
I
I4 . TolsatnoHdye roi3s 3m 2
I5I.b sTerno:al nlds
PeeGry nt3 50
IV THE CHAOTICA GE 369
I6 .F ruedA: S ahkespeRaeraedai37n n gI
I.7 PorusTth:Te r uPee rsuoafSs eixoJunea all ousy
395
I.8 Joey'cAsg owni tShah kespeare
4I3
I.9 Woosl f' Feminaiss Lmto hvoeef R eading
Orlando: 433
Kaf:kC aanoniPcaatlia enn"dcnI ed estructibility"
20. 447
BorgNeeusrd,aa ,nP de osasH:i sp-aPnoirctuguese
21.
Whitman
463
Beck.e.Jtot.y .ce.P r.o .us.Stah. k espeare
22. 493
V CATALOGINTGH EC ANON 5I5
EleagcCi onclusion
23. 5I 7
APPENDIXES5 29
A.T hTeh eocratic Age
53I
B.T hAer sitocArgaet ic
534
C.T hDee omcraAtgiec
54o
D.T hCeh aotAig:ce CAa nonPircoapylh ec
548
Index
569