Why I Read: The Serious Pleasure of Books

The author's extraordinary alertness, intelligence, and curiosity have made her one of America's most significant cultural critics, writes Stephen Greenblatt. In this book, she draws on a lifetime of pleasure reading and decades of editing to describe a life lived in and through literature. Wendy Lesser's extraordinary alertness, intelligence, and curiosity have made her one of America's most significant cultural critics, writes Stephen Greenblatt. In Whyl Read, Lesser draws on a lifetime of pleasure reading and decades of editing to describe a life lived in and through literature. As Lesser examines work from such perspectives as Character and Plot, Novelty, Grandeur and Intimacy, and Authority, the reader will discover a definition of literature that is as broad as it is broad-minded. In addition to novels and stories, Lesser explores plays, poems, and essays, along with mysteries, science fiction, and memoirs. Her passion for reading is infectious - and it resonates on every page.