5.0 out of 5 stars
A fascinating book - actually 7 or 8 stars., May 9, 2013
This review is from: Melville Biography: An Inside Narrative (Hardcover)
I began reading this book today, in utter fascination after having read
(years ago) the two-volume biography. This is not only a very funny and
convincing book (and having glanced through the later chapters I can see
I have a lot to look forward to) it is extraordinarily sympathetic to
the human being that was Herman Melville and I have always had the sense
in reading Melville that here is not only a writer but a really
passionate HUMAN BEING - perhaps more so than any other writer. In fact
much of Parker's attacks on his critics centers on the fact that they
did not grasp whatever agonies or travails Melville was enduring through
the trying periods of composition. This reflects his basic belief that
contemporary scholars have "dehumanized" the discipline of literary
criticism and literary biography - an observation that strikes me as
right on the mark and intuitively true. Having endured several years
surrounded by such individuals (Duke University graduate school, Stanley
Fish and the like) Parker's observations have a ringing, stinging
reality to them. In addition I was impressed by his fascinating
observations on the New York Review of Books and the New York Times Book
Review. In fact the book strikes me as one of those extended
vituperative letters one often comes across in the NYRB - but at 500
pages long. At any rate I have selected this as my "take away" book for
the summer to Croatia. I plan to sit on the beach and read this and
re-re-read Moby Dick. As a throwaway observation, I had the sense as I
read the first few chapters that I was re-reading "Fire the Bastards!"
by "Jack Green," which was actually William Gaddis's pseudonymous
response to his critics of The Recognitions. (A Parker biography of
WIlliam Gaddis - now there's a dream.)
If anyone should ever be sent to the past to talk with Melville I would want it to be Parker. If Melville would ever want anyone to come from the future to talk to him he would likely have chosen Parker. The two are made for each other - the same passions, same instincts, even stylistic similarities. The are literary blood brothers. I would want to see Parker move on and dig his skilled teeth into Poe. Much needed.
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