The Moral Obligation to Be Intelligent: Selected Essays

The description of the book is true: very good, like new. I am very happy with the condition of the book.

In spite of the off-putting title of this collection (actually a remark by one of Trilling's teachers), this is an invaluable collection of the authors essays, including the major pieces from four of his most important books, as well as a half-dozen from other sources.Trilling was a "cultural critic" when that phrase lacked the ominous overtones of the present. He was not interested in "theory", either philosophical or literary, but, in his own phrase, "the bloody crossroads where literature and politics meet" was his primary focus.When he writes about a specific work, he sometimes appears to wander far off the subject, but usually finds a connection between what seem digressions and his main themes. A good example of this is his essay on James' CASAMASSIMA, in which he offers a good deal of informed insight into anarchism, likely much more than James himself knew.According to some, his style now seems pretentious and circumlocutory to the nth degree. Steven Marcus, his younger colleague, has said that Trilling could not " say straight out what he meant". This is a fair criticism, though I would say that his style reflects not only the convolutions of his mind, but the period in which he wrote (a page of F.W. Dupee, for example, would probably seem as exaggerated to today's readers).Trilling has something to teach his readers in almost every essay in this volume, but there's one exception--his reading of Nabokov's LOLITA.He goes out of his way to pump moral significance into Nabokov's novel, but the Russian master's "meaning" eludes him completely. LOLITA, says Trilling, is about "love" not "lust", whereas Nabokov, who considered art a pure product of imagination that trailed no clouds of morality. It was an aesthetic vision that bore no relation to "real life", hence Nabokov's hatred of Freudians and other thesis-hounds.There's is--or was?--a very amusing segment from a British TV program in which Nabokov, Trilling, and a host discuss LOLITA. Nabokov very amused, Trilling very earnest, but the former trying in his halting English (he wrote English fluently, but clearly he didn't speak it well) to take Trilling off the false scent. (At the same time, Nabokov is reported as saying that of all the critics who took a different position about literature than himself, Trilling was one of the most admirable.)If you don't own most of Trilling's individual books, you should buy this, and even if you do, it'd be good to have all his major essays in one somewhat large, but not insanely bulky volume.The introduction is instructive for beginners in Trilling, but I think the chap goes too far in saying that Trilling didn't read to be "enchanted" by fiction. It's clear from various sources that books certainly did delight and enthrall him, even if his job as a professional critic was rarely the occasion for his saying so.A magisterial voice in 20th century criticism, to be ranked with Leavis, Wilson, and Pritchett.

Although I was expecting to appreciate this book when I bought it, I was still pleasantly surprised at how pleasurable it was to read. I have read a number of individual items by Trilling and quite a number about him, but this collection is especially enjoyable to me for several reasons: it spans a number of decades so "hearing" from him over time, as it were, is like an extended conversation; the pieces cover a pretty wide range of topics and people, so it is interesting to learn details about the subjects themselves along with Trilling's take on them; and, finally, a small item, Trilling has a great ear (in my opinion) for key quotes from his subjects -- I wouldn't rate a whole book on this skill but as a 'garnish,' it's quite nice. Perhaps one indication of how enjoyable the essays are is that they make the reader (this reader, anyway) want to discuss the topics with others or repeat key portions that were insightful or interesting. Lastly, the essay format makes it perfect for a travel book -- you can pick the size of serving that fits your schedule.

Little over my head here, the title of this book was very intriguing to me. But be warned if you’re not a walking dictionary the level of language in this book is not exactly for the average joe. I’ve learned a lot of good words though I do fail to grasp certain concepts the author makes

Old school intelligent literary critic.

OH, I wish everybody would read this. enough of dumbing down in the USA

Husband is serious reader of all things philosophical and political. Respects Lionel Trilling. Turns out he owns a copy of this, but upon being reintroduced, has thanked me several times for buying it for him.

Excellent set of essays.