Modernism: An Anthology

by Lawrence Rainey (Editor)

Modernism: An Anthology is the most comprehensive anthology of Anglo-American modernism ever to be published.

Genres: Reference, Classics, Anthologies, Poetry, Nonfiction

1216 pages, Paperback

First published July 6, 2005

About the author

Lawrence S. Rainey is a university professor and writer/editor on the classic works of Anglo-American modernism.

Reviews

[Athena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean... it's a text book so... but some of the pieces in it were really interesting.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rainey is intelligent, clear, and engaging. He clearly defines the terms relevant to the anthology (or at least tackles the problem of defining "modernism" succinctly). And it's helpful to have an anthology which is (more or less) in chronological order. All in all, Rainey makes a valiant effort to clarify any detail in the confusing texts/authors' lives that needs clarifying. He addresses the reader frankly and with a sense of humor, which is refreshing after slogging through dry critical writings found in other academic anthologies (like the Companion to Yeats which I just finished...).

As with any anthology, though, it has its limitations:
Not *every* confusing detail is clarified.
I'm not sure I agree with Rainey's leaving out certain non-while-male modernist writers to avoid "tokenism."
Its personable tone can make it feel a little less-than-academic (like when Rainey refers in passing to the enjoyability of T.S. Eliot's children's poetry, like it's objectively rather than subjectively true).

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good anthology. There are some weird factual errors in the introductions to Gertrude Stein and For Madox Ford, though. Good reminder to watch your sources.

[Michael Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot of the rest of this material already, so instead of reading it cover to cover (as I was originally intending but to be honest soon got bored of doing that) I think I'll keep this big book close and whenever I want to make notes on a writer or poem in this book I can do so. Have it be a companion, as well as a companion-piece to other books I have. I don't think this is a book that was ever intended to read cover to cover, but piece-meal and over a period of years for different approaches - interests and focuses in each use. That's how I used this when I first read it when back in university - and that's the way I'll continue to use it today and in the future.

This 'finished' date is only advisory - as I'll not stop 'reading' this book so long as I continue to be interested in Modernism and think about the different modernists included in this book and their works. (Aside from Wyndham Lewis for some reason - for some reason I couldn't give a damn about that guy).