Eight Modern Essayists

by William Smart (Editor)

This essay anthology focuses on just eight outstanding writers in depth with the supported conviction that the student's own writing will greatly improve through such an intense study of these great authors and their work. Each author is represented by four or five works which reveal each writers distinct, individual style and interests. The student should become aware that there is no one way of writing that is "correct." Authors

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction, Classics

299 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Ronald Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fifth edition of Eight Modern Essayists included 48 20th-century essays – 40 by the eight featured writers and 8 essays from previous editions the editor felt needed to be printed again. All these pieces were enjoyable and/or interesting, but there were nine which made the collection well worth reading.

These were: “The Death of the Moth” and “A Sketch of the Past” by Virginia Woolf; “Shooting an Elephant” and “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell; “My War” by Paul Fussell; “On Morality” by Joan Didion; “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens” by Alice Walker; “The Old Stone House” by Edmund Wilson; and “Notes of a Native Son” by James Baldwin.

[Haaris Mateen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his introduction to the anthology, William Smart advises the reader to assess each essayist's writing style, their influence and their interests. To do so is to appreciate the many ways one can write essays, a form that is personal and opinionated, giving the writer the license to use the imagination through a tone generally reserved for nonfiction.

I enjoyed reading many of the essays here. Not all.

[Adam Wilburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this in an old box of my books from college. We only read a few sections back then. I decided to read it all and am glad I did.

[Bruno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great collection of essays. I like how each author's section tied up with an essay about the purpose / objective of their writing. Lots of inspiration in here. Didn't really care for E.B. White or Edward Hoagland. Lewis Thomas was a unexpected surprise, really great essays from him. Virginia Woolf and Joan Didion always deliver, never disappointed by their work and I found their essays to be the most resonate ones for me. Loved their work.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would suggest reading this book for George Orwell and James Baldwin alone, if nothing else. Check out the rest of the authors just to satisfy your curiosity and to possibly encounter a fresh take on a stale phenomenon. I read the 4th edition that has Lewis Thomas and Edward Hoagland instead of the Cynthia and McConkey people of the most recent one. I wish I had gotten the 3rd edition, with D.H. Lawrence and E.M. Forster, but they were deemed too stodgy by Mr. Smart, I suppose.

In any case, the book is a very effective survey of the short works of some very well-known writers. Unfortunately, about half of the authors as represented here are pretty forgettable (Virginia Woolf, E.B. White, Hoagland and Joan Didion), and their essays in this volume serve to assure me that I need not read anything else by them (having already read and somewhat enjoyed To the Lighthouse and Mrs. Dalloway). Fans of these authors will of course take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Lewis Thomas, who I had never heard of, is somewhat refreshing while Alice Walker and especially James Baldwin are revelations. Baldwin, with his searing prose, reframes the race question in completely unique and vibrant terminology. The resulting essays are deeply thought-provoking.

George Orwell, predictably, further cements himself as one of my favorite writers of all time. I think I could happily read his description of just about anything. Let me take this opportunity to recommend to any readers of this review his staggering and rather wonderful Homage to Catalonia (see my review).

Not Bad Reviews

@pointblaek

[Aristos · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Baldwin and Joan Didion stood out for me. I was already a fan of Orwell. EB White was a miss. The introductory writing by William Smart is exceedingly pedestrian. DNF entirely.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read an earlier version of this book, and I come back to it again and again, to remind myself what the essay truly can be.

[Guy]

A reasonably good collection of essays. This is a book to flip to once in a while when my intuition calls me to read something different than my usual stuff.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wunderbar!