John Berger Criticism
John Berger, an influential English writer and critic, is celebrated for his multidisciplinary contributions to literature and art criticism. His renowned novel, G, which earned him the prestigious Booker Prize in 1972, parallels the explorative spirit of Brechtian drama through its examination of a modern-day Don Juan. This novel challenges traditional narrative forms by incorporating fragmented and self-reflective literary techniques, as discussed in the Times Literary Supplement, highlighting Berger’s innovative approach. Moreover, his seminal works such as The Success and Failure of Picasso and Toward Reality: Essays in Seeing further establish him as a preeminent Marxist art critic. Berger’s writings, including his acclaimed A Seventh Man, explore complex socio-political themes, urging an empathetic understanding of societal structures, as analyzed by 'A Seventh Man': Migrant Workers in Europe. While Berger’s works often convey a profound engagement with socialist ideals, they also reveal a nuanced critique of the limitations within Marxist and liberal ideologies, as noted by Paul Delany. His literary pursuits exemplify a robust exploration of the role of art and literature in reflecting and challenging contemporary realities.
Contents
- Berger, John (Vol. 2)
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Berger, John (Vol. 19)
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Story of a Country Doctor
(summary)
In the following essay, George A. Silver commends John Berger's A Fortunate Man for its evocative portrayal of a country doctor, Dr. John Sassall, and its deep examination of the human condition, highlighting the book's artistic narrative as distinct from traditional sociological accounts.
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The Critic as a Revolutionary
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In the following essay, Yorick Blumenfeld critiques John Berger's Art and Revolution, arguing that it serves more as an exploration of Berger's own theories on the social role of the artist than as a study of Soviet sculptor Ernst Neizvestny, while highlighting the provocative nature and personal conflict inherent in Berger's Marxist criticisms.
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What We Might Be and What We Are: John Berger and the Artist's Duty to Transcend Despair
(summary)
The critic examines how in G, John Berger employs a Cubist literary style through fragmented narrative techniques, self-insertion, and shifts in narrative perspective, resulting in a provocative yet perplexing reader experience that reflects his experimental and bold artistic intelligence.
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The Cyclopean Eye of the European Phallus
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In the following essay, Karl Miller critiques John Berger's novel "G.," highlighting its juxtaposition of seduction and social revolution, while questioning the coherence of its character development and the novel's lack of emotional depth and period context.
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Package Deal
(summary)
In the following essay, John Naughton critiques John Berger's A Seventh Man for its ambitious blend of narrative, Marxist commentary, and philosophical musings, but ultimately commends it for sensitively portraying the human impact of migration in Europe, despite occasional digressions into ideology.
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John Berger's Socialist Imagination
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In the following essay, Paul Delany argues that John Berger's works, characterized by their dialectical approach and challenging of conventional beliefs, represent the most comprehensive and articulate expression of socialist thought in English literature following World War II, despite their divergence from mainstream Marxist and liberal ideologies.
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'A Seventh Man': Migrant Workers in Europe
(summary)
In the following essay, Robert Seidman argues that John Berger's work, particularly "A Seventh Man," powerfully engages with socialist themes by examining the complex realities faced by migrant workers and urging readers to empathize with their plight and the socio-political structures that exploit them.
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A Sort of Fiction
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In the following essay, Terry Eagleton critiques John Berger's Pig Earth for its attempt to portray peasant life with realistic detail while arguing that its narrative remains limited by its realist form, which restricts the work's emotional complexity and socio-political depth.
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Catching Up, Fiction: 'Pig Earth'
(summary)
In the following essay, John Ryle commends John Berger's Pig Earth for its evocative portrayal of a French peasant community, skillfully blending fiction and ethnography to explore a culture on the brink of extinction through vivid storytelling and analytical insights.
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Moralists
(summary)
In the following essay, William Scammell criticizes John Berger for his solemn and condescending style in works like Pig Earth, arguing that while Berger occasionally crafts good imagery, his writing lacks the wit and informativeness of Brecht, and often appears self-consciously preoccupied with primal realities.
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Reviews: 'Pig Earth' and 'About Looking'
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In the following essay, Fred Pfeil examines John Berger's works "Pig Earth" and "About Looking," highlighting their engagement with Marxist literary practice and phenomenological concerns, but criticizes their political and cultural despair, suggesting that they reflect a broader paralysis in the western left post-1969.
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'Pig Earth'
(summary)
In the following essay, John Leonard critiques John Berger's book "Pig Earth," depicting it as a conflicted and ambitious narrative that romanticizes peasant life while being marred by implausible characterizations and an uneasy blend of storytelling and didacticism.
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Story of a Country Doctor
(summary)