On Moral Fiction
On Moral Fiction by John Gardner
English | April 2, 2013 (1978) | ISBN: 0465052258, 0465052266 | EPUB | 208 pages | 3.9 MB
English | April 2, 2013 (1978) | ISBN: 0465052258, 0465052266 | EPUB | 208 pages | 3.9 MB
John Gardner’s acclaimed search for the lost morality in art and literature
Novelist John Gardner’s thesis in On Moral Fiction is simple: “True art is by its nature moral.” It is also an audacious statement, as Gardner asserts an inherent value in life and in art. Since the book’s first publication, the passion behind Gardner’s assertion has both provoked and inspired readers. In examining the work of his peers, Gardner analyzes what has gone wrong, in his view, in modern art and literature, and how shortcomings in artistic criticism have contributed to the problem. He develops his argument by showing how artists and critics can reintroduce morality and substance to their work to improve society and cultivate our morality.
On Moral Fiction is an essential read in which Gardner presents his thoughtfully developed criteria for the elements he believes are essential to art and its creation.