The Strength to Dream: Literature and the Imagination - Paperback
by Samantha Devin (Editor), Geoff Ward (Introduction by), Colin Wilson (Author)
In this intense and revealing essay, Wilson analyses our literary heritage from the standpoint of existential criticism. Using specific examples and detailed biographical data, he reveals a fact that we tend to ignore: that almost all modern literature is an ode to despair, a stubborn cult to the man in the street, to the defeated, the loser. The prevailing romantic disability we suffer has diminished the stature of man to unforeseen levels. The imagination to which Wilson appeals in this book is a power capable of transcending the immediate, of freeing us from the limits of what is possible. Those who can imagine in this way have dominion over the earthly world and for that reason alone are liberated from the futility of the ordinary. To imagine is to invoke the impossible, to reject things as they are and dare to shape them as they should be.
"...art in the twentieth century - literary art in particular - has ceased to take itself seriously as the primary instrument of existential philosophy. It has ceased to regard itself as an instrument for probing questions of human significance. Art is the science of human destiny." Colin Wilson "Existential criticism is therefore the attempt to judge works of art by the contribution they make to the science of living, to judge them by standards of meaning as well as impact." Colin WilsonMade with care and unconditionally loved by our customers, this signature bestseller exceeds all expectations.
Made with care and unconditionally loved by our customers, this signature bestseller exceeds all expectations.
At the heart of every product lies a unique story, driven by our passion for quality and innovation. Each item enhances your everyday life and sparks joy.