A Visit to Vanity Fair: Moral Essays on the Present Age

by Alan Jacobs

Jacobs explains the art of the moral essay, then illustrates the actual execution of the moral essay on subjects such as Harry Potter, TV animal documentaries, and luckydipping in the Bible.

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction, Cultural

173 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2001

About the author

Alan Jacobs is a scholar of English literature, literary critic, and distinguished professor of the humanities at Baylor University. Previously, he held the Clyde S. Kilby Chair of English at Wheaton College until 2012. His academic career has been marked by a deep engagement with literature, theology, and intellectual history.
Jacobs has written extensively on reading, thinking, and culture, contributing to publications such as The Atlantic, First Things, and The New Atlantis. His books explore diverse topics, from the intellectual legacy of Christian humanism (The Year of Our Lord 1943) to the challenges of modern discourse (How to Think). He has also examined literary figures like C. S. Lewis (The Narnian) and W. H. Auden. His work often bridges literature and philosophy, with books such as A Theology of Reading: The Hermeneutics of Love reflecting on the ethical dimensions of interpretation.
An evangelical Anglican, Jacobs continues to influence discussions on faith, literature, and the role of reading in contemporary life.

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful collection of thought provoking and well crafted essays. Published nearly 20 years ago, it nevertheless feels as engaging and relevant as ever. Whether dealing with Bob Dylan or Harry Potter, Jacobs gets at issues that remain not frothy debates of the minute. Philosophy, literature, faith and writing are explored with verve and wit. I'm going to keep digging into my collection of Jacobs writing which I have manged to put off reading for too long.

[Persis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essays on a variety of subjects. I appreciate Jacobs’ insights, humor, and all around great writing. He’s one of my favorite authors, and it was nice to hear him read his own work in this audio version.

[Chris Griffith · Rating 5 out of 5]

In A Visit to Vanity Fair: Moral Essays on the Present Age, Alan Jacobs tackles themes big and diminutive in this somewhat wildly eclectic collection. Jacobs is an English professor at Wheaton College and his love of the language and it's impact upon our culture shines.

Although, only a tiny bit disjointed (it is an eclectic collection after all!), each essay flows with charity and humility from one subject to the next. Jacobs finds a lot to talk about in such a short book! From the possibility of--along with the pros and cons of ebooks (this book was written in 2001 prior to the creation of the Amazon Kindle) to the virtues of Harry Potter and the proper use of magic...er, I mean technology, Professor Jacobs uses his keen eye of the world and quick wit to engage creatively with moral questions and offers a cultural critique of the 21st Century from a Christian perspective. I especially appreciated his discussion of Bob Dylan and his classic record Blood on the Tracks.

Jacobs is obviously a fan of C.S. Lewis and W.H. Auden as those two writers are prominently quoted and referred to in almost every chapter.

Apparently, Jacobs has put together several collections of essays. He's obviously a gifted man when it comes to observation. In an attempt at a bit of self-deprecating humor in the essay on the "Lives of Essayists," Jacobs suggests that "if an essay is anything, it is the discourse of an inexpert." However, I would suggest Alan Jacobs is one of those sorts of writers who could write about virtually anything and transform it into something appealing by virtue of his insight and articulation! In my opinion Jacobs is one of the finest American writers out there and I'm looking forward to reading more books by him soon....stay tuned!

[William Randolph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Jacobs is one of my favorite essayists. The most striking thing about this collection of his work is how he manages to consistently maintain a tone of charity, even when he has to deal harshly with something (for example, New Age spirituality). There was something slightly off about the balance of the book, but that might be because I'd read several of the essays in magazines before. At any rate, it's always a pleasure to explore some subject with Jacobs. (See his review of books about trees in a recent issue of Books and Culture.)

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Austin Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fun short read.

[Alex Strohschein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alan Jacobs’ “A Visit to Vanity Fair”, with the gaudy subtitle “Moral Essays on the Present Age”, is Jacobs’ attempt to revive the moral essay. I applaud him for it. I think essays are an excellent medium to communicate information. I have come to appreciate and marvel at the collected essays of G.K. Chesterton (who hardly gets mentioned, even when Jacobs is reviewing famous Christian friendships; Chesterton and Hillaire Belloc had a famous camaraderie, with George Bernard Shaw dubbing them the “Chesterbelloc”) in books such as “What’s Wrong With The World”. Compared to the essays of Chesterton, Jacobs’ are underwhelming – they neither have the humour and wit of Chesterton, nor are all of them focused on morality (such as Jacobs’ reflection on the literary legacy of Donald Davie). I come from being an active participant and a tragic victim of “political Christianity” and Jacobs’ moral essays don’t touch on any of the usual suspects, not abortion, not even sweat shops.

Many of the essays are hit-and-miss. Among my favourites are “Preachers without Poetry” and “C.S. Lewis at 100”, where Jacobs, discussing how two rival Christian colleges claim to have “the” wardrobe of Narnia fame, ponders whether or not Lewis aficionados will cherish his possessions like medieval pilgrims did purported pieces of the Cross.

Nevertheless, Jacobs is an erudite writer, frequently quoting classical English writers, especially Lewis. As previously mentioned, I DO support his campaign to rejuvenate the moral essay and make it relevant again. I don’t think anyone will be in a rush to finish this collection of essays, but it would be a fine book to pick up once in a while during a short break.

[Steven Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Jacobs is on my shortlist of favorite living authors. I resonate with his impulses very, very strongly, and his book "A Theology of Reading" has become both the theoretical foundation of my reading life and a gateway into a lot of other important authors.

This collection of essays is uneven, but I am not sure how any collection of essays could not be uneven, given the improvisatory and freewheeling nature of the genre. That being said, the essays that are good are really, really good; they are worthy of repeated reflection and full of useful and tantalizing bibliographic trails.

I read these essays over a period of several months on my days off, and I plan to return to the volume again in a couple years, rereading the essays I marked with a star. I am sure I will enjoy it again.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first learned of Alan Jacobs through the Mars Hill audio journal. I heard Ken Myers read his essay on C.S. Lewis and was moved enough by it to pick up this collection of his writing (which includes the one on Lewis) as I was browsing a used book store.

Alan starts out with a discussion of the moral essay that sets the stage for what follows. So far I have made it through the first essay, A Bible fit for Children. If the rest of the essays are anything like the first, then I am in for a real treat...

[Zack Clemmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars would feel more accurate. Some standout essays, some forgettable. Some lovely prose, some stilted or prosaic. Standout essays for me were "A Bible For for Children" and "Preachers without Poetry," which seemed Jacobs at his Wheaton English prof best. I also enjoyed the Dylan essay and the memorial for Donald Davie.

[Adam Shields · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short review: I am not a big reader of essays but there are some very good ones here. The one I most enjoyed was about what we do and do not include in Children's bibles. Overall there are 15 essays. A couple of them are a bit dated now, but most of them are pretty good.

Full review on my blog at http://bookwi.se/moral-essays-jacobs/

[T.]

Alan Jacobs is always a delight to read. It was good to reread some of the essays here as well, such as "Harry Potter's Magic." The essay on friendship is particularly great, as are his essays about essays.

[D.M. Dutcher · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a short collection of essays that tends to be a little too "boomer white evangelical First Things writer" for me. You've got your obligatory Bob Dylan article, copious mentions of C.S. Lewis, and a general non-controversial bent. It's okay reading but doesn't have enough bite to be memorable.

[Debbie Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays on topics from Harry Potter to violence in the Bible to Transcendentalist schoolchildren. Written from a Christian perspective but refreshingly not a typical "Christian Book."

[Paul Dubuc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written essays here, both in terms of style and content, on a variety of contemporary subjects.

[Dan Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with all books Jacobs writes, really enjoyed both the content and style. Possibly a review to follow...