The Educated Imagination

As the title suggests Frye breezily discusses the preeminent role that imagination, and hence literature, does and should play in a person's life. Although sparsely written, each paragraph deceptively contains a great deal of insight and weight. This is more than a book for English majors; it is highly recommended for anyone who considers herself a true and active citizen of a liberal democracy.

I read this when I was 21. I became a writer. The book gave me inspiration and an appreciation of literature. It also helped me to develop an ideology/philosophy about life and the imagination. It should be mandatory in schools today.

On the recommendation of a friend, I picked up Northrop Frye's _The Educated Imagination_. As my colleague said, "I read this each fall to remind me what is important about teaching literature." I could not agree more. Originally broadcast as a series of six lectures on literary criticism, Frye not only introduces what "literary criticism" is (the answer surprised me), but also addresses the question of "why is literature important?" An excellent question in an age of technology and science. Among other things, Frye explains that reading fiction forces us to think about the unthinkable - to expand our imaginations - and therefore push the envelope of technology and science. Frye also points out that in thinking beyond the possible, we develop a tolerance for other ideas, which in turn breeds tolerance of other people and other opinions different from our own. I cannot think of a better reason to read. Of course there is much more in this brief, little book. These are only the ideas that resonated most with me. It is an easy read, accessable and conversational in tone - but the ideas and arguments presented are deep and certainly worth attention. I disagree with the former reviewer - this is a must read for fans of fiction, as it gives deeper meaning to the tales and stories. But I also recommend for any reader, if only to show why the exercise of reading is so important.

Northrop Frye is probably *the* most important English-language literary critic of the 20th century. "The Educated Imagination" is a series of six short essays based on talks/lectures he gave on Canadian radio. His focus here is slightly different than many of his other works (like the classic study "An Anatomy of Criticism". He begins by posing some very basic questions that tend to be taken for granted in more scholarly works-- questions like "What IS literature?", "How is literature different from other types of writing?" "What value is there in reading/studying literature?" "How should literature be taught in schools?" etc. In the course of answering these questions, Frye introduces the reader to his general theory of literature and literary criticism. Throughout the book, his style, tone, vocabulary, and approach are extremely accessible and "reader-friendly". All and all, this isn't as through, as rigorous, or a intelletually rich a book as some of Fryes more scholarly work (e.g. "An Anatomy of Criticism", "The Great Code", "Fearful Symmetry", etc.), but it's an excellent and accessible introduction to his view of literature in general-- and as to why humans create and value it.