Publisher's Synopsis
What is genius? This is the question that structures this monumental study of a hundred creative minds in the history of literature, carried out by todays most important North American critic. From the Bible to Socrates, stopping at the transcendental works of Shakespeare and Dante, and arriving at Hemingway, Faulkner and Ralph Ellison, the author shows the numerous influences of the chosen writers and their relevance over the centuries. The shrewd analysis of Milton, Shelley, and Whitmans poetry, as well as Ibsen and Tennessee Williams theatre, among many others, allow the reader to widen their knowledge and appreciation of the greats.
