Guy Davenport Criticism
Guy Davenport was a multifaceted American writer and scholar whose work spans short stories, essays, poetry, editing, illustration, and translation, particularly of classical Greek texts. Davenport's literary creations are renowned for their modernist techniques and complex thematic intricacies. His short story collection Tatlin! exemplifies his sophisticated blend of fiction and criticism, as analyzed by Richard Pevear, who emphasizes its mimesis and the existential themes facing modern intellectuals. Similarly, Richard Wertime notes the narrative innovation and philosophical depth of Tatlin!, despite its esoteric challenges.
Davenport's work is often compared to modernist influences, as highlighted by Hugh Witemeyer, who draws parallels to Ezra Pound's impact on Davenport's storytelling. George Stade points out that Davenport’s stories, while initially appearing anachronistic, ultimately offer profound historical and literary harmonies. In his collection Da Vinci's Bicycle, Davenport's narrative techniques and thematic explorations are further examined by Jack Sullivan and Hugh Kenner, who highlight his distinctive method of "assemblages," creating rich, complex worlds through minimalist prose akin to pointillism. Davenport’s contributions to literature are characterized by an intellectual richness and artistic diversity that continue to influence and challenge readers and scholars alike.
Contents
- Davenport, Guy, Jr. (Vol. 6)
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Davenport, Guy, Jr. (Vol. 14)
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'Tatlin!', or the Limits of Fiction
(summary)
In the following essay, Richard Pevear discusses Guy Davenport's Tatlin!, highlighting its sophisticated interplay of fiction and criticism through mimesis, its thematic complexity, and its unique narrative structure that blends reverie with critical intelligence, ultimately portraying the modern intellectual's existential plight.
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Book Reviews: 'Tatlin!'
(summary)
In the following essay, Richard Wertime explores the thematic and stylistic complexities of Guy Davenport's collection Tatlin!, emphasizing its philosophical depth, innovative narrative structure, and the author's erudition, while critiquing the challenges posed by its esoteric nature and the balance between language and narrative action.
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Ezra Pound's Presence in Guy Davenport's 'Tatlin!'
(summary)
In the following essay, Hugh Witemeyer analyzes how Guy Davenport's Tatlin! reflects the modernist influence of Ezra Pound, demonstrating how the collection's structure, themes, and intellectual complexity capture the unique sensibilities of the twentieth century by integrating diverse sources and emphasizing the interconnectedness of historical and cultural narratives.
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Fiction in the Modernist Mode
(summary)
In the following essay, George Stade argues that Guy Davenport's stories, characterized by their modernist techniques and complex interwoven motifs, initially appear anachronistic but ultimately reveal themselves to be deeply impactful and artistically accomplished, demonstrating Davenport's skill in exploring historical and literary harmonies.
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Books in Brief: 'Da Vinci's Bicycle'
(summary)
In the following essay, Jack Sullivan critiques Guy Davenport's Da Vinci's Bicycle, highlighting its complex narrative style that blends multiple literary influences and intricate allusions, while acknowledging the work's most successful stories as those with simpler, more direct narratives that reflect the theme of exploration.
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Assemblages
(summary)
In the following essay, Hugh Kenner explores Guy Davenport's use of "assemblages" in Da Vinci's Bicycle, highlighting the intricate construction of imagined worlds and self-portraits through discrete themes and monosyllabic prose, akin to Seurat's pointillism, emphasizing the complex simplicity and layered perception in Davenport's work.
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'Tatlin!', or the Limits of Fiction
(summary)