The Din in the Head - by Cynthia Ozick (Paperback)

About the Book

One of America"s foremost novelists and critics focuses on the essential joys of great literature, with particular emphasis on the novel. With razor-sharp wit, she investigates unexpected byways in the works of Leo Tolstoy, Saul Bellow, Helen Keller, Isaac Babel, Sylvia Plath, Susan Sontag, and more.

Book Synopsis

One of America's foremost novelists and critics, Cynthia Ozick has won praise and provoked debate for taking on challenging literary, historical, and moral issues. In her spirited essay collection The Din in the Head, she focuses on the essential joys of great literature. With razor-sharp wit and an inspiring joie de vivre, Ozick investigates unexpected byways in the works of Leo Tolstoy, Saul Bellow, Helen Keller, Isaac Babel, Sylvia Plath, Susan Sontag, and Henry James, among others. Throughout this bracing collection, she celebrates the curative power of the literary imagination.

Review Quotes

"This essay collection on the joys of literature presents [Ozick] at the height of her critical powers...Highly recommended." Library Journal

"Rich and varied...Erudition lightly worn, eloquence finely crafted." Kirkus Reviews

"Over three decades, the din in Cynthia Ozick's head has been worth listening to." --Daphne Merkin Publishers Weekly

"Open the collection anywhere -- I guarantee it -- and you will feel the bite of her distinctive voice." --Sven Birkerts Los Angeles Times

"The passion that fills these essays is invigorating. In our age of irony and commercial pandering, we need writers like Ozick." --Danielle Chapman The Chicago Tribune --