Harold Bloom's Best Books (Top 20 Ranked & Reviewed)

📚 Read the Great Books with Hardcore Literature: / about
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🏫 hardcore-university.teachable... (Hardcore University, Exam Preparation Courses)
✍🏼 benjaminmcevoy.com My Personal Website
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Hardcore Literature Lecture Series
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📔Contents Page: cutt.ly/CmNhRY3
🎖️ War and Peace: cutt.ly/U3nzGma
🎭 Shakespeare Project: cutt.ly/B3nxHH7
🐳 Moby Dick: cutt.ly/K3nzVKf
☄️ Blood Meridian: cutt.ly/P3nz6Qp
🍂 Wuthering Heights: cutt.ly/N3nxxYt
🇮🇪 Ulysses: cutt.ly/x3nxQmN
🚂 Anna Karenina: cutt.ly/vmNhAWv
💀 Crime and Punishment: cutt.ly/rmNhFt5
⚓ Persuasion: cutt.ly/amNhX7b
☕ In Search of Lost Time: cutt.ly/5mNh8oD
⚔️ The Hero’s Journey: cutt.ly/UmNjrE3
🌸 Siddharta: cutt.ly/YmNjuzi
🎠 Don Quixote: cutt.ly/cmNjoK4
❤️Shakespeare’s Sonnets: cutt.ly/nmNlW7V
🇫🇷 Les Misérables: cutt.ly/J3YixoA
🕯️ The Turn of the Screw: cutt.ly/nToAQQ3
🖋️ Dickens Seasonal Read: cutt.ly/9ToAybt
📖 Middlemarch Serial Reading: tinyurl.com/45rv965c
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📖 Links to the best Harold Bloom books below:
Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human: amzn.to/2U9MZKk
The Western Canon: amzn.to/3yGpkAj
The Best Poems of the English Language: amzn.to/3yJWJKl
The Anxiety of Influence: amzn.to/37BJa3H
How to Read and Why: amzn.to/37zMfBk
The Bright Book of Life: amzn.to/3iG6bZO
Take Arms Against a Sea of Troubles: amzn.to/3yKweEw
Possessed by Memory: amzn.to/3yUKMBT
Shakespeare Series (Iago, Cleopatra, Lear, Macbeth): amzn.to/3g02zQm
Where Shall Wisdom Be Found? amzn.to/3yIMQN9
Ruin the Sacred Truths: amzn.to/3sbn6q1
The Shadow of a Great Rock: amzn.to/3CGBWty
The Book of J: amzn.to/3m5htIS
A Map of Misreading: amzn.to/3xAJWZq
Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children: amzn.to/3lYfoys
Hamlet: Poem Unlimited: amzn.to/3AAyTBl
The Anatomy of Influence: amzn.to/3g0b51R
'Till I End My Song: amzn.to/3xGEeFe
The Demon Knows: amzn.to/3s9vnLn
The American Canon: amzn.to/3xFWnDj
Chelsea House Series: amzn.to/3yL1R10
------------
🎙️ open.spotify.com/show/70IZA24... (Subscribe to the Hardcore Literature Podcast on iTunes & Spotify)
🏫 hardcore-university.teachable... (Hardcore University, Exam Preparation Courses)
👕 hardcore-literature.creator-s... Hardcore Literature Merch
✍🏼 benjaminmcevoy.com My Personal Website
------------
Hardcore Literature Lecture Series
------------
📔Contents Page: cutt.ly/CmNhRY3
🚂 Anna Karenina: cutt.ly/vmNhAWv
💀 Crime and Punishment: cutt.ly/rmNhFt5
⚓ Persuasion: cutt.ly/amNhX7b
☕ In Search of Lost Time: cutt.ly/5mNh8oD
⚔️ The Hero’s Journey: cutt.ly/UmNjrE3
🌸 Siddharta: cutt.ly/YmNjuzi
🎠 Don Quixote: cutt.ly/cmNjoK4
❤️Shakespeare’s Sonnets: cutt.ly/nmNlW7V
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Happy reading!

[@jenialiparra4274]

It's an adorable surprise! I can't believe I found you talking about Harold Bloom. I am a Brazilian learning the English language through poetry. Years ago, I found a book about Shakespeare in my neighborhood. I just opened this book this morning to read it. My first surprise of the day was to realize that the book author is Harold Bloom. Two years ago, I bought the book "The Best Poems of the English Language" and I fell in love with Bloom's passion for English Literature. And now I find you,here, talking about professor Bloom and recommending the book I found in my neighborhood : Shakespeare The Invention of the Human. Sometimes life can just be perfect! I also want to thank you for your incredible work in Literature.

[@battoreddu9303]

This the only channel that I follow about literature,the other ones are all hipsters with a cup of tea enjoying themselves saying obvious things about books learnt on school. I can see that you instead are very passionate in what you do and you talk about the book themselves and not about other useless things. Great channel,and I like also your accent

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you :) I really appreciate that! It's great to see other passionate readers like yourself getting a lot out of these books and discussions!

[@fadista7063]

Leaf by Leaf Steve Donoghue A Cruel Reader's Thesis Spinster's Library JuanReads There are definitely channels that are not "hipsters drinking tea". Look around. And one even comes with an English accent...if that is a requisite.

[@AlkibiadesKleiniou]

It's like books as a tik tok aesthetic rather than a real and rewarding pursuit. It turns reading into a social spectacle

[@kina7128]

Yes, I too have noticed some of the younger dears, bless them, going on and on about the CORRECT way to annotate. They then, very enthusiastically, hold up their books, ADORNED with endless little fluoro sticky notes, in all the colours of the rainbow like ribbons in a milliners shop! Then, to top it all, they have at hand, an equally impressive stack of highlighters, with corresponding colours to suit!🙄 They then proceed to tell you to use pink for this, yellow for that, and so on.... Very tedious indeed and I very much doubt whether actual deep reading takes place. Personally,I think they're missing the point, turning a book into a doodle pad. To each their own, I suppose. Me, I'm rather snuggly propped up in a comfy armchair with only pen in hand.

[@regolithia]

Better Than Food! He’s brilliant

[@johnsikes320]

Yes, please keep making videos. I’ve found great value in almost everything you’ve produced. You’ve given me great insights into the world of literature and “How to Read”, even though I’ve been reading for 50+ years 😉. Thank you!

[@jocquemorrison9785]

I'm late to this channel but think I've found a jewel. Thank you for introduction to Harold Bloom. Look forward to reading 📚 some of his books on a hot AZ summer afternoon. Thanks again.

[@scottjohnson4202]

Fantastic video! So glad I found your channel. All your videos are so fascinating and insightful. Thanks so much

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Scott :) I really appreciate that, my friend!

[@michael622ful]

Wonderful video! I have the Western Canon and The Best Poems of the English Language, and I find it very challenging (not a native speaker), but still seeing your enthusiasm on Bloom makes me keep adding his books to my cart. And I truly believe one day I will be able to enjoy his books, which can give me wayyyyy deeper understanding and appreciation on the great books!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you :) Bloom's stuff is hard even for native speakers, and it sounds like you're very enthusiastic yourself - so understanding will follow! The Western Canon and The Best Poems are great ones to have on your shelf!

[@kathy2539]

Your list is great. I'm interested in the Western Canon and the Stories and Poems for extremely intelligent Children of all Ages (whew, what a title!). But the first one you mentioned 'Shakespeare . . ." I like the sound of that, too.

[@Durufle68]

You never cease to educate me and recommend truly amazing works and things to read. I thank you for furthering my understanding and challenging my reading.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Kevin! I appreciate that so much :) Keep reading the great books!

[@c.s.hayden3022]

Our living tradition was in good hands with Harold Bloom. I just bought “The Ringers In The Tower” and I’ve appreciated his insight for years. All the best critics possess their own creative genius.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Nice choice - that is some deep cuts Bloom :)

[@wendyfairfull8967]

I am so happy to have discovered your channel. Now that my children are adults, I've been at loose ends about what to do with myself. You've inspired me to brush off my English degree and dive back in the great books.

[@lenlarsson5630]

Hey Wendy, if you are serious about doing that, I thoroughly recommend his Patreon “Hardcore Literature Book Club” … we are doing Don Quixote at the moment - which has only just started. It’s great, with lots of content to help with your reading. It’s also a great group of people.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Wendy. I appreciate that so much :) Coming back to the great books can certainly keep one extremely fulfilled, so I'm thoroughly excited for you! And welcome to the Book Club!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

@@lenlarsson5630 Thank you, Len :) I really appreciate that, and get so much out of your fantastic comments and responses to the books! I am so excited for Don Quixote. I think it may be the book I've been most looking forward to talking about!

[@wendyfairfull8967]

@@lenlarsson5630 I decided to join the book club. Don Quixote is on my top 10 list of favorite books.

[@lenlarsson5630]

@@wendyfairfull8967 Good for you Wendy ... you won't be disappointed. See you on the inside :)

[@ralphdifiore7504]

Bravo! This is brilliant! I am a huge Bloom devotee. I also regretted not going to meet him but I sent and received two emails from him which were and continue to be very touching to me. I have printed and put them inside two of his books. Professor Bloom would be proud of your reviews and recommendations! Well done sir!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Wow! You are incredibly fortunate to have such treasures. What a lovely way to keep his emails to you. And thank you - the thought that Professor Bloom would be happy with my reviews warms my heart :)

[@peggymccright1220]

I have ‘the invention of the human’ and ‘the western canon’ . I’m so glad I found your channel. I love Shakespeare! Thank you so much!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Let me know what you think :) These are two of my favourite Bloom books!

[@jonrutherford6852]

Exciting video. At age 82, I'm glad I gave up regret as a stupifying and totally counterproductive emotion some time ago, else I'd be wishing I had more time left to read all, or most, of the wonderful books you recommend here and elsewhere. As it is, I'll have to make some hasty decisions. Where to start...? I deplore the tendency of some teachers and critics to reduce art to politics, social justice theory, or psychology. I suspect that Bloom might often feel very akin to me. Listening to some Bloom lectures on KZbin I've been impressed by a genuine modesty and courteous warmth that remind me of some of my own best teachers. I must say your own outlook reminds me of them, too. Thank you, Mr. McEvoy.

[@tumblyhomecarolinep7121]

Brilliant thank you for this video so much. I have the How to Read and Why but just had to go and get the Shakespeare, the invention of the human. I am also quite keen to get the children’s book one, for myself really. Gradually I will add to my Bloom collection.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I'm glad the children's book is getting some love! I really love that one. Bloom has a nice introduction at the front where he talks about his rationale for his choices and children's education. And you definitely can't go wrong with his writings on Shakespeare!

[@jongoodwin5936]

Your enthusiasm for Bloom is refreshing to me as his interest in great art for great art's sake was refreshing to you. Videos like this make me wish YT would provide us with a "shoebox" in which we could put the videos we MUST view again rather than mark them as ones we merely like and must leave them undistinguished to be lost in the sea of videos we merely like. Your work stands out. Thanks!!!

[@richardrose2606]

At the bottom select the "You" tab. On there you can create Playlists to save videos to. I have two, a general one and one for music.

[@bard8499]

Great video! I've read some of Bloom's introductions but never actually had a copy of one of his books. I'm going to keep an eye out for Shakespeare The Invention of the Human.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you :) Perfect! It's a great place to start!

[@bard8499]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy I ended up ordering it and I'm going to use it as a companion to trying to read all of Shakespeare's works. (: Much appreciate your reccomendations!

[@pl566]

Really nice! I've read a few of these already, but not "The Bright Book of Life". I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Joe :) That one's one of my personal favourites!

[@hirayamanobuko4038]

I've been waiting for you making a video featuring Harold Bloom. Thank you very much! I read only 'How to Read and Why' and 'Anxiety of Influence'. 'How to Read and Why' was a good starter and showed me a wonderful reading list. 'Anxiety of Influence' was challenging for me and I didn't understand most part of it. I should try less challenging book of his, maybe Anthology, and then I'll dig into his other works you presented on the video. Thank you so much for making the video. And I'd appreciate it if you could make a video of Introduction to 'Anxiety of Influence' or another challenging book of Harold Bloom.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Anxiety of Influence is indeed very challenging. I'm thinking of doing a podcast on one of Bloom's books - it's either The Western Canon or Anxiety of Influence... It seems you would be a fan of the second, so we'll probably go with that one :) And thank you for your kind words! We'll have more Bloom content out soon I'm sure!

[@hishamshihab4635]

Your videos are always like a kind of savory, enjoyable mental food to me :) .. keep up posting my friend!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Hisham :) What a wonderful compliment. Savory, enjoyable mental food!

[@stephennoonan8578]

Just happened across your videos today, as I’m reading Dostoevsky for the first time. What a breath of fresh air they are! And wonderful to see a bloke (only slightly) younger than myself with such admiration for the great Harold Bloom. I only discovered him myself a few years ago; I now return almost weekly to How to Read and Why and the Western Canon; and the Invention of the Human reinvigorated my enthusiasm for Shakespeare, and introduced me to earlier classics like Goddard. Great work, Benjamin!

[@tomkennedy9835]

I just dipped into a bit of Bloom's 'Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human' as I thought it would supplement my understanding of Othello (a book I am studying my a-level). I have to say the chapter on Othello is really quite good. I know this is not necessarily his quote, but Bloom quotes a man called William Hazlitt and it is a fantastic quote - Iago is a man who "stabs men in the dark to prevent ennui".

[@skmcc9252]

I've read, The Western Canon and, How to read and why. Because of those works I started to memorise a few chosen poems, particularly Tennyson and it brings constant joy. Love your channel and your enthusiasm for reading - just starting in on The Count of Monte Cristo.

[@seanelliot3512]

Hi Great literary channel and on these recommendations I have ordered two of these books really looking forward to delving into these Thank you

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Sean :) That's so awesome to hear! I hope you enjoy your Blooms :)

[@seanelliot3512]

Thank you again hope to see more great literary content from your good self soon

[@seanelliot3512]

Hi Benjamin just to let you know my 1st Harold Bloom has arrived it's How To Read And Why and reading it I'm finding it incredibly accessible and it is already increasing my critical thought and is reinforcing my love of literature

[@curtjarrell9710]

This was a good one. I've read The Western Canon and bits of a few others. I bought a copy of The American Canon during lockdown but haven't opened it yet. My gateway into more literary reading was The New Lifetime Reading Plan by Clifton J. Fadiman. Thank God for wise men of letters who provided maps for the sons and daughters of folks far less bookish than they'd like to be now.

[@robertocatrone715]

I had the greatest opportunity to go to Harold Bloom lectures in New York four times. At that time i only read a few of his book reviews, which Inevitably drew me to his own writings. I am a lover of Shakespeares work since grammar school. Harold Bloom, Shakespeare invention of the human was/is a spectacular read.

[@warrendavis9458]

Although belated. Thank you for the resources. Keep up the good work.

[@historify.54]

On occasion I manage to stumble upon a truly good channel. I did this morning. Thank you Benjamin.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Buck :)

[@xinyuanchen6281]

It is through Bloom that I had my idea of what literary criticism is (it changes as I read more critics, but he is literally the one who has 'enlightened' me when it comes to this matter). Nevertheless I have never really finished reading any of his works. The Anxiety of Influence is too hard for me back then, the Anatomy of Influence is nicer (but I didn't finish that either). Your video made me wish to dive into his works again, and this time I want to start with Possessed by Memory. Thank you for all this :)

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you very much! I'm so happy to hear that you found the video valuable :) The Anxiety of Influence is a very difficult book. We have a podcast episode breaking it apart (episode 51, Hardcore Literature) that you might find helps make it easier! The Anatomy of Influence is an easier one, and I find it's nice to dip in and out, picking whichever essays most intrigue you - that's a good approach to much of Bloom's work, from The Western Canon to Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. Happy reading :)

[@jamestiburon443]

Well done! Agree with your choices. Read the 1st 2 various times. Luck.

[@haydersdk5088]

It was a great pleasure to discover your channel, i just started don quixote . Keep up the good work 🙏

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, my friend. Let me know how you enjoy Don Quixote :) My favourite novel!

[@chambeet]

I want to hear how hayder likes DQ, too! I'm reading it for the first time at the moment, and I'm about 700 pages in. I'm a very slow reader, and I love to write tons of marginalia, as Benjamin would say, but I'm still enjoying the book a lot more than I thought it would.

[@soumavagoswami7487]

Just what I was looking for. Thank You.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

You're so welcome :)

[@theahaberman8189]

Invention of the Human was my introduction to Bloom, and it absolutely changed my life! Although we don't agree on everything (I mourned his death partly because it was the loss of a great man, but also partly because now I will never be able to meet him and tell him why he was wrong about Falstaff and Coriolanus), he opens up the plays with such love and brilliant insight, and I was moved to tears many times as I read the book. I read Anatomy of Influence earlier this year on a whim because I saw it on the shelves of my local library. He lost me completely for large chunks of the book, but every time I considered skipping bits, he would hit me right between the eyes with an absolutely genius statement on literature, philosophy, or life in general, and I would have to keep reading. 🤣Thanks for this video! I'm excited to Add How to Read and Why and The Bright Book of Life to my reading list!

[@ahmadhasan8355]

now I will never be able to meet him and tell him why he was wrong about Falstaff and Coriolanus - could you please elaborate a bit more on on these, sir? I am truly keen on learning.

[@theahaberman8189]

@@ahmadhasan8355 Love being called "sir," that's a first for me XD But yes, I'd LOVE to elaborate on my pet peeves about Bloom! Falstaff first. Bloom sees Falstaff as a sort of tragic, misunderstood hero who is betrayed by Prince Hal, which is a take on the character that I have never understood. What we actually see in the plays is that Falstaff is an alcoholic and a thief, who seems to have no desire to better himself. At the end of both Henry IV plays, we see Falstaff being given the opportunity to lead a better life, and yet he simply squanders what he is given and never changes. The most astonishing thing about Bloom's opinion is that he believes Falstaff, an old man with a long history of dissolute behavior, was lead astray by Prince Hal, a teenager who is desperately searching for a father figure. To me, it seems clear that the absolute reverse must have been true! It's far more likely that a confused teenager would be enticed into a seedy lifestyle by a charismatic older man than the other way around. What is really rather marvelous about the whole thing is that I think Falstaff himself has tricked Bloom into seeing the version of Falstaff that he would like to project. An amazing feat for a fictional character! As far as Coriolanus is concerned, Bloom rather summarily dismisses him as an essentially "empty" character. This, to me, seems like an incredibly lazy reading of the character for someone with such mental power and insight. Bloom bases his assessment of Coriolanus on the fact that there are no traditional soliloquies to tell us what the character is thinking. However, when I read the play, I found the character an incredibly rich portrayal of a man of great natural kindness and integrity, but whose moral compass and ability to express emotions in a healthy way have both been misshapen by his harsh upbringing, as well as his tendency to base his self-worth on the opinions of the people he looks up to (Volumnia, Menenius, Cominius, etc.). I also think it is a breathtakingly insightful look at PTSD, long before any concept of such a disorder had been formed. From a technical standpoint, I believe Shakespeare had moved beyond the use of soliloquies to tell us directly what a character is thinking. Instead, he was attempting to SHOW us through the character's speech and actions, in a much more modern way than he had previously used. Wow, that got long, even though I was trying to keep it succinct lol. If you actually read all of this, you're a hero. If you didn't, well... Thanks for giving me an excuse to vent, anyway!

[@IllustratedManOfficial]

Enjoyed this. Noticed the 'Personalities' volume on Lear is out of print. Unavailable on Amazon. Couldn't even find on eBay!

[@chambeet]

I have WAY too many Harold Bloom books, and I find them addicting and want to get them all (I'm sure I have 20-30, minimum). That being said, I can't believe the comments are all so positive here and no one is complaining about Bloom. As I said above, I have most of his major books, but God, he could really make me angry at times. I like your own commentary much more than Blooms, Benjamin, but yeah, I certainly see that you are heavily influenced by Bloom and also How to Read, which I probably personally prefer to How to Read and Why in terms of actually educating readers in terms of their appreciation, retention, and overall experience. One of my larger issues with Bloom is how often he repeats himself from book to book, and basically says the same stock phrases about most authors across his books (I don't think I've read any of his pre-1980 books, though, and I've heard that Anxiety of Influence is his best, and certainly one day I will read that), almost like Homer's stock phrases for his heroes in the Iliad/Odyssey ("rosy-fingered dawn," "swift-footed Achilleus," etc.).

[@joannezhu2604]

Thank you so much for book recommendations on scripture. May God bless this channel to reach out more people. 🎉❤

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Joanne! :) 🙏

[@waterglas21]

Great video. Just reading Hamlet: Poem Unlimited, has a pretty interesting analysis.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you :) I totally agree!

[@mteresavaldes2251]

You’ve encouraged me to tackle Lear!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I'm so happy to hear that! Let me know what you think :)

[@Ozgipsy]

Each one of your videos has really inspired me. Thanks again Benjamin. But at some point I’m going to have to start reading faster 😳

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you! Ah, so many books, so little time. As Bloom says, we're reading against the clock!

[@brachiator1]

Very interesting that I ran across this clip. I attended some of his lectures on Blake Romantic poets.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Wow! Lucky you. How were the lectures?

[@brachiator1]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy As I recall Bloom's lectures were theatrical and seemingly intended to dazzle students and possibly intimidate many of his fellow professors who might be in attendance. Some of the terminology he used was quite daunting, but you also got a sense of the depth of his understanding of literature and his respect for the authors under discussion.

[@stevengray2835]

I'm a big fan of Bloom and have been for many years. Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human was my introduction - I've worn through two copies because I love rereading it. One you didn't mention was Genius: A Mosaic of One Hundred Exemplary Creative Minds. His favorite authors continue to pop up but he gives additional thoughts on a work that he hadn't previously covered. At first I struggled with some of his methods: always compare an author with eight others from a different time and genre but don't really explain their similarities or differences; and the fact that he didn't employ an editor in many of his works. But once one recognizes his genius and scope it's easy to overlook these: just sit back and enjoy!

[@toddboothbee1361]

I said I was coming to appreciate H. Bloom. I think that was tepid of me. I find his work increasingly exciting, which is possibly the beginning of love. ( He does remind me that I'm more than an ideology.) I'm fortunate that your channel happened upon me.

[@Flux799]

Two of my favourite Harold’s passed away. Harold Bloom & Harold Budd. How To Read and Why is mandatory reading.

[@MicahMicahel]

A book of Bloom's that I'm interested in is his sequel to the 1905 novel A Voyage To Arcturus, The Flight To lucifer. TEH original novel by David Lyndsey is an odd fantasy novel. C.S. lewis held it up as an influence but he said he didn't agree with the theology.

[@fadista7063]

I will take a look at American Canon. I wonder if Thomas Wolfe was included--he's sort of a litmus test of mine. Many do not include him do to revisionist trends.

[@hw744]

Hey Benjamin, I love your videos. As a new reader, I’ve tried couple bloom’s essay on the great literatures. However, I find it hard to really relate and share the appreciation of his essays because I’m not familiar with the works he was writing about. Would you suggest one to return to bloom after becoming a more well rounded reader? If not, which bloom would you suggest one to start on?

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you very much :) Yes, I think one would get more out of his essays after reading the works in question. His stuff on Shakespeare makes for a good introduction, so you could read those before the plays. But when he talks about novels like Anna Karenina and Moby Dick, I think they would be difficult to appreciate unless you've read the works first. Also, he reveals tons of spoilers! I would recommend you to pick up 'How to Read and Why' as a first reader. This one can be appreciated even without having read many books.

[@hw744]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy thank you for the tip! I’ll check out how to read and why

[@paulzenev4346]

I read a little of - "The Visionary Company". It is a poem by poem analysis of some major Romantic poems. I found each entry of the individual poems not overwhelmingly meticulous. I liked the introduction. In the introduction he states that the Metaphysical poets are more of a Catholic bent, and other authors that lead up to Woolf and Lawrence were more of a Protestant mind.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Wonderful volume :) I recall that Bloom was inspired to write this after enjoying Northrop Frye's study of William Blake - Fearful Symmetry. Both solid works of criticism!

[@paulzenev4346]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Hello Benjamin, I wanted to say a few more words about Bloom. Do you know of Camille Paglia?? I understand she was a protege of his. I dip into her "Break, Blow, Burn" occasionally. Moreover, I am going to get kind of heavy now. But in "The VC.." Bloom said that the English Romantic poets saw Paradise Lost through the "prism" of Cowper's "The Task"!! I never read The Task. I know it's a long poem, about half as long as PL. TY

[@AJP321]

Enjoyed this, Benjamin. Fyi, Harold Bloom's top 5 works of literary criticism: 'The Greeks and the Irrational' by E.R. Dodds 'European Literature and the Latin Middle Ages' by Ernst Robert Curtius 'The Mirror and the Lamp' by M.H. Abrams 'The Rhetoric of Religion' by Kenneth Burke 'Colors of the Mind' by Angus Fletcher

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much for sharing! I can speak to the strength of all of these, but I have yet to read E. R. Dodds - I'll have to rectify that ASAP!

[@jyothinarayana1]

excellent narration👍

[@Wisdom1944]

Love this episode

[@euggiemonad2523]

No mention of 'Agon'? Well, I can see why, it being a culmination of 'Anxiety of Influence' & 'Map of Misreading' Expanding on those works, he offers a Theory of Revisionism, which he views as a contest of opposing artistic and moral drives (that he applies to various authors). Agon, of course, is derived from 'agony' and 'Agonistes'

[@riverIl0719]

Could you make the list available? Thanks ❤️

[@1995yuda]

Fantastic, thank you!

[@Hidinginyourcupboard]

Great man 👍🏼

[@elizabethmurphy3931]

A Fabulous Survey of Harold Bloom!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Elizabeth :)

[@Northcountry1926]

Thank you very much ❤

[@MrInterestingthings]

Thanks again!

[@spiritualpolitics8205]

I'm a lifelong Bloom addict, who re-anchored me to Shakespeare for lifetime reading and re-reading. His Western Canon is central. Btw, Bloom is such a trove that even comments like his reference to Harold C. Goddard's Shakespeare criticism have opened an amazing new critic to me. (If you haven't read Goddard, please go check out his essay on Hamlet!)

[@davidash2727]

Happily Reading, thank you.

[@toddmccabe4122]

The literary critic, M.H. Abrams is a worthy companion to Harold Bloom. I recommend Natural Supernaturalism Tradition and Revolution in Romantic Literature.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

M. H. Abrams is incredible. My copy of 'The Mirror and the Lamp' is falling apart with notes. If I recall correctly, I believe he taught and influenced Bloom!

[@TheWhitehiker]

One critique of Bloom-- he leaves out an index in some books; that's maddening when you want to search for subject references. [Ruffle cut pages--never heard the term--thanks!]

[@TheIrishfitter]

This is excellent!!

[@gin6270]

I've known about Bloom, and without getting into the debates or even diving deep, I wanted to read his recommendations and his views. So I started two books- Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children and Where Shall Wisdom Be Found? Got a jolt of surprise seeing you mention them in your video. And I have to admit, I find children's stories very soothing and let my mind wander. (The stories we heard as kids always had a moral ending.)

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I love that volume too. I picked it up because, like you, I find stories for children very soothing. The ones in the anthology could be rather difficult for children, but all are charming and enjoyable!

[@allen5455]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Bloom's earliest books are best. Graduate students basically wrote everything else.

[@JeffRebornNow]

I love Ben's blue-grey eyes.

[@Anicius_]

Can you please do more bookstore vlogs ? Please

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I absolutely can :) In fact, I have 3 more that just need some editing!

[@robertperrotti5973]

I loved “Genius”. Great sweeping content

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Terrific book! Bloom was worried it was overly ambitious, but I thought it was tremendous. Such a great range of geniuses explored.

[@1canaddian449]

The only one I don't have is Till I end My Song. I love Bloom; but he is an author who gives but also takes away.

[@gnosis6656]

I’m quite surprised you left off Genius. What makes it unique in his writings is his inclusion of not only literary figures but also philosophical and religious writers. It’s therefore the most comprehensive of his overviews. We get to see his insights about and appreciation of figures like Kierkegaard, Paul, and Shikibu. It’s certainly better and more instructive than The Book of J. (J, of course, is one of the authors discussed in Genius.)

[@Lance0714]

great review

[@tommyryan3434]

That the first time I have heard of him bloom will have a look in the book shop for him

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Amazing :)

[@caracarlson-roberts6325]

What a coincidence that we both have our copies of “How to Read and Why” not readily available - I don’t know where your copy is, but you said it was somewhere in storage, whereas mine is also in storage because of a huge downsizing I had to make after I sold my house and boxed up my books and can only access them by digging into those boxes in my tool shed! (Readers please don’t stone me! lol). Now to my point: many of the Bloom books you have just mentioned I probably have 75% of them, but it was this little how to read and why that struck me very hard one day when I read the line where Bloom says, (and I’m afraid I am going to have to paraphrase here because I can’t go into my tool shed at this time of night and recoup the book to quote him exactly) but he says something to the effect of “Why do we read? We read because in our lives we meet and know very few people intimately, and those people are very worth knowing”. I think he was right on target. Subsequent to my reading of that little line I saw Dr. Bloom on Book Notes (Charles Lamb’s show) one evening and at one point in the interview Bloom said if you’re going to buy this book, buy it for this reason. You could’ve knocked me over with a feather as I had only recently read that to my husband and told him that it was worth the $26.95 that I spent on the book just to read that line. I was so impressed with myself that I actually had the same thought as Dr. Bloom. My husband tells me that I was unbearable to live with for a few days as I was emoting around the room saying, “I think like Bloom, I think like Bloom! L O L. Bloom was and is a lighthouse to me and I regret I did not drive the 1500 miles to just stand outside his classroom to hear him lecture just once. I would like to have shaken the man’s hand.

[@rapier1954]

I am 69 years old and I miss Bloom. He was someone I turned to for answers of a literary nature. He was a critic who fairly rated works based on their literary merit and explained why he held the opinion he did. This caused no end of vexation for the PC crowd who have infiltrated the universities today. His stature protected him from being fired but now that he has gone people within literary circles have decided to expand the so-called Western Canon to reflect the diversity we have in our societies without much attention to the merit of the works they wish to include. Bloom never bowed to the waves of popular culture so when asked by Charlie Rose what he thought of the frenzy that was provoked by people lining up to buy Harry Potter for their children, Bloom said he had read it and thought it was slop.

[@davidhuston292]

Where is the visionary company? This was one of blooms early volumes that showed his deep understanding and appreciation of the romantic poets. It’s still one of the great introductions to that crucial period of English literature. Really deserved a mention, I think.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

You're right, David. It should be in the list!

[@krisyallowega5487]

I viewed one of his interviews on C-SPAN from around 20 years ago. He was not a fan of annotation and marginalia at all. He tried, I am not certain how successfully, to have his students memorize what was being studied. He believed "possession by memory " to be a powerful adversary as we are "influenced by what we remember."

[@caracarlson-roberts6325]

I don’t think his mind could slow down long enough to write in margins. Besides, he had probably already memorized it. lol I respected and admired him greatly.

[@johnsailorsgoat]

I want to get his anthologies! And How to Read and Why. But I have way too many unread books to go through so it would be impractical to buy them to just sit on my shelf. 😭

[@debraparker971]

Ben I have and have read through Bloom's Shakespeare: Invention of the Human and How to Read and Why. I have also listened to Bloom speak on youtube (before death of course). I know I should appreciate his work more, but I find it inaccessible at times, somewhat confusing (when he compares, for instance, another work of Shakespeare when discussing a different work)., and a bit boring. I am a voracious reader so I wonder if you could help me to learn to appreciate him more?

[@annamattos8627]

Should I begin reading Bloom by The Western Canon or by Whow to Read and Why? They both seem to be good entry points.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

My vote would be for How to Read and Why :)

[@annamattos8627]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thank you!!!

[@fatimasoqra6082]

Great vid

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Fatima!

[@markhenderson3771]

Thanks for the list. Bloom has always seemed too full of references that are beyond me. I have not read “How to Read…” maybe that’s a good one to pick up.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Bloom is definitely a dense read. A single sentence from him can keep me occupied for a very long time, demanding me to search out his allusions. Absolutely, his 'How to Read' is a great one to pick up. I returned to it recently and loved it all over again :)

[@caracarlson-roberts6325]

My opinion is it’s a very good place to start. You might see my comment above.

[@BUKCOLLECTOR]

Charles Bukowski was my favorite writer. Poems , short stories, here are 2 immortal stories from his “erections...” book: “The most beautiful woman in town” “ the blanket” ( greatest short story of all time) Al

[@dpakholly]

Benjamin McEvoy is our new Harold Bloom!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Aw, thank you so much, Deepak! Tremendously high praise! :)

[@dpakholly]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Of course!

[@jayharvey3907]

Figures of Capable Imagination has a number of good essays on English and American authors of the 19th and 20th centuries

[@ronetteskiestante4064]

never heard of him, but thanks to you I might check out one of his books, "The bright book of life" in our local bookstore and bury myself in it!🤗

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Tremendous book. I think you'll love it :) It has some spoilers for different novels, however, so exercise caution!

[@ronetteskiestante4064]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy cool! thanks for the advise!😊

[@CesarClouds]

Yes!

[@caracarlson-roberts6325]

Bloom taught me to read aloud, particularly poetry.

[@normanleach5427]

Known as "The man who has read everything ".

[@caracarlson-roberts6325]

Including cereal boxes. Lol.

[@nileshseban1335]

My love-at-first-sight encounter with Bloom is Cabbala and Criticism. Originality

[@hamondaw3577]

Maps of Misreading is the best nonfiction book I've ever read

[@laboremus9152]

Спасибо из Украины . I was looking for information about Harold Bloom and have found your chanel.Thank you very much.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

дякую, що дивишся мої відео)) Happy reading over in Ukraine!

[@adolphsanchez1429]

I love Harold Bloom but have only completely read Hamlet: Poem Unlimited and Shakespeare: Invention of the Human. I purchased The Western Canon some time ago but have only perused it and have yet to read it from cover to cover. I love that he hated Harry Potter and other YA books which have destroyed education in the United States, but I wish I knew his opinion on popular fiction of the past like Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. Those were popular fiction in their time, and I wonder if he hates those stories and novels as much as he hates modern day works of fiction like Harry Potter.

[@johnrasmussen3882]

Permit me to recommend Bloom's Wallace Stevens The Poems of our Climate

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Great recommendation!

[@jamestiburon443]

The Meaning of life: Journey of Souls, by Dr. Michael Newton.

[@Jack-wu3hr]

I love Harold Bloom. He’s beautiful.

[@garrettcampbell47]

I would also include Jesus and Yahweh: The Names Divine. As well as a book, entitled, Genius.

[@lynnerosner620]

I think Thomas Hardy. Jude the obscure should be o top 50 list

[@uranusgemini3388]

When I attain his age in scripting them I may assay them,-- not a morn before; That my proceeding days may not deprive Themselves the likely odd in comprehension That a far more proceeded days in life Makes more availing to one in such strife.

[@iralell]

Huh, I have 5 of these. 4 of your top 5 plus The Daemon Knows.

[@Paulkazey1]

Bloom was a genius

[@tommiller3017]

I'm shocked to say I read The Book of J years ago. Interesting theory.

[@thaismoreno3014]

'The Art of Reading Poetry' was pretty good.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

You'll love his anthology of poetry then as I believe this was taken from his preface to that work :)

[@Astrobrewster]

I love HB, particularly on Shelley. Anxiety of Influence changed the way I read. But ‘The best poems…’ is a rip-off. All the poems are out of copyright and all the essays are previously published and decades old. The introduction is worth reading, but the rest would have taken an afternoon to put together for an intern. I’m sure he would stand behind what we wrote about Shelley in 1973. I’m also sure he’s had other thoughts in the intervening time. A nice little earner