Perspective

Bloom's point of view is a scholarly humanism that treats literature as 'equipment for living' to use Kenneth Burke's phrase. He is concerned about the future of reading in an age of speed, connection and overwhelming amounts of data, and he makes a case for the value of each genre of literature, from poetry and short stories to plays and novels. His concern is strictly with imaginative literature, and in his discussion of the value of particular works in each genre, he is chiefly interested in the different psychological stances authors take, in their characters or in their words themselves. Harold Bloom started his career by studying the anxiety writers feel about having come after other great writers, and in this book, he holds up the exemplary works that stand out among their predecessors, works that made their impact felt in later works.

Tone

Bloom's language is elevated...