On Moral Fiction, John Gardner
On Moral Fiction, John Gardner
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On Moral Fiction

Author: John Gardner

Narrator: Bob Souer

Unabridged: 6 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/12/2019


Synopsis

"Fearless, illuminating" criticism from a New York Times bestselling author and legendary teacher, "proving . . . that true art is moral and not trivial" (Los Angeles Times).

Novelist John Gardner's thesis in On Moral Fiction is simple: "True art is by its nature moral." It is also an audacious statement, as Gardner asserts an inherent value in life and in art. Since the book's first publication, the passion behind Gardner's assertion has both provoked and inspired readers. In examining the work of his peers, Gardner analyzes what has gone wrong, in his view, in modern art and literature, and how shortcomings in artistic criticism have contributed to the problem. He develops his argument by showing how artists and critics can reintroduce morality and substance to their work to improve society and cultivate our morality.

On Moral Fiction is a must-listen book in which Gardner presents his thoughtfully developed criteria for the elements he believes are essential to art and its creation.

About John Gardner

John Gardner (1933-1982) was born in Batavia, New York. His critically acclaimed books include the novels Grendel, The Sunlight Dialogues, and October Light, for which he received the National Book Critics Circle Award, as well as works of nonfiction and criticism such as On Becoming a Novelist. He was also a professor of medieval literature and a pioneering creative writing teacher whose students included Raymond Carver and Charles Johnson.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brynn on February 26, 2008

This is a must read for anyone interested in art or interested in the creative process. Gardner calls a spade a spade in his book, drawing a clear line between what art is and what it is not. Gardner is about a million times more intelligent and articulate than I am, but what I gleaned from Gardner......more

Goodreads review by Elizabeth on April 15, 2015

This book is a breath of fresh moral air in what often feels to me to be a polluted cultural atmosphere—not because I agree with everything Gardner says but because I'm relieved that he's willing to raise questions about morality and art-making in the first place. The word "moral" is a major stumblin......more

Goodreads review by Shane on December 31, 2018

John Gardner’s controversial book takes no prisoners in the literary firmament. He has a barb or a laurel for everyone from Aristotle to Vonnegut; rather sassy for a relatively less acclaimed author known more for his academic experience than his literary genius. I was expecting the logical approach......more

Goodreads review by Nyssa on February 18, 2013

The first half of this book was an eye-opening perspective for an English major ensconced in literary theory for the majority of her college education. But the second half was downright pernicious--willing to put up with the supposed madness of artists who have so much moral rectitude that they can......more