A professor of literature explains why he loves books; The Unexpected Professor: An Oxford Life in Books
March 19, 2014 Leave a comment
A professor of literature explains why he loves books
Mar 15th 2014 | From the print edition
The Unexpected Professor: An Oxford Life in Books. By John Carey. Faber & Faber; 361 pages; $23.81 and £18.99. Buy from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
IN HIS blog, which is largely dedicated to the keeping of bees, John Carey, for 30 years a professor of English literature at Oxford, states that he writes to “stimulate and involve the general reader”. This autobiography, written with sympathy, a light touch and a sardonic sense of humour, amply fulfils that aim. It suggests that this well-known book reviewer and author retains strong opinions and a love of controversy—writers who thought his reviews hurtful once formed an anti-Carey club—but also portrays a sensitive man dedicated to academic study and to reading. He admits that “courage matters more than understanding poetry” but, having read almost everything there is to read, he is unapologetic about trying to convey just what an enjoyable activity reading is. Read more of this post