Episode 269: “An Experiment in Criticism” Revisited

Welcome back to The Literary Life Podcast this week! Today we are bringing you a brand new episode on An Experiment in Criticism in which Angelina and Thomas revisit the ideas in this book and answer some listener questions from over the years! Angelina opens the discussion with a little background on the first series of episodes, then begins to unravel the two main areas of confusion about this book. First, she and Thomas talk about the idea that we are supposed to “receive” literature as opposed to “using” literature. Angelina seeks an answer the question, “What is a literary experience?” They also tackle the problem of the purpose of this book, since many people think it is Lewis’ guide on how to read literature. Finally, they discuss how to have a literary experience and where Lewis addresses how to read well.

The seventh annual Literary Life Online Conference is coming up April 23-26, 2025! Please visit HouseofHumaneLetters.com to sign up for that as well as all the other upcoming webinars of this year.

Suggested Episodes:

Episode 156: Why Read Fairy Tales

Episode 60: Why Read Pagan Myths

Much Ado About Nothing Series

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Commonplace Quotes:

His quiescent periods were mainly devoted to taking back what he had said.

Gordon Daviot (pen name of Josephine Tey) from Claverhouse

Some time after this interview, it happened that Mr. Cuff, on a sunshiny afternoon, was in the neighborhood of poor William Dobbins, who was lying under a tree in the playground, spelling over a favorite copy of the Arabian Nights which he had–apart from the res of the school, who were pursuing their various sports–quite lonely, and almost happy. If people would but leave children to themselves, if teachers would cease to bully them; if parents would not insist upon directing their thoughts, and dominating their feelings–those feelings and thoughts which are a mystery to all (for how much do you and I know of each other, of our children, of our fathers, of our neighbor, and how far more beautiful and sacred are the thoughts of the poor lad or girl whom you govern likely to be, than those of the dull and world-corrupted person who rules him?)–if, I say, parents and masters would leave their children alone a little more–small harm would accrue, although a less quantity of as in proesenti might be acquired.

William Makepeace Thackeray from Vanity Fair

Notes on the Art of Poetry

by Dylan Thomas

I could never have dreamt that there were such goings-on
in the world between the covers of books,
such sandstorms and ice blasts of words,,,
such staggering peace, such enormous laughter,
such and so many blinding bright lights,,,
splashing all over the pages
in a million bits and pieces
all of which were words, words, words,
and each of which were alive forever
in its own delight and glory and oddity and light.

Book List:

Amazon affiliate links included below

“De Descriptione Temporum” (lecture text) by C. S. Lewis

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis

Preface to Paradise Lost by C. S. Lewis

Allegory of Love by C. S. Lewis

Letters of C. S. Lewis by C. S. Lewis

On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature by C. S. Lewis

The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis

The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis

Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature by C. S. Lewis

Arthurian Torso by Charles Williams and C. S. Lewis

Northrop Frye

The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare

Why Literature Still Matters by Jason Baxter

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Connect with Us:

You can find Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks at HouseofHumaneLetters.com, on Instagram @angelinastanford, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/

You can find Cindy Rollins at MorningTimeforMoms.com, over on her podcast The New Mason Jar, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CindyRollinsWriter. You can also check out her Patreon for additional content.

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