The Making of the Modern Canon: Genesis and Crisis of a Literary Idea

by Jan Gorak

This important contribution to the canon debate is remarkable in examining the actual process of canon formation from threee unusual and complementary angles. The first two chapters discuss historical attitudes to canons from antiquity onwards, showing the religious, aesthetic, cultural and political interests which have shaped our modern critical canons. Each of the four succeeding chapters examines an exemplary defendant, interpreter, or critic of canons; Ernst Gomrich, Northrop Frye, Frank Kermode and Edward Said. A final chapter considers the origins and rationale of the contemporary debate, emphasising the disciplinary and aesthetic problems we must confront if our cultural institutions are to meet the challenging needs of the next century. Professor Gorak teaches at the University of Denver. His publications include God the Artist (1987), Critic of Crisis (1987)and The Alien Mind of Raymond Williams (1988)

309 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1990

Reviews

[Maher Battuti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author discusses the important modern thinkers that are forming the western canon of culture. He gives first a short history of the modern history of the canon, and then treats the ideas of Ernest Gombrich, Northrop Frye, Frank Kermode and Edward Said.

[Antonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an interesting book on the history of the canon. It also does a good job of summarizing the debates regarding the canon's expansion and the exclusion process which takes place as a result of canon formation (as well as the religious and political motivations).