Literary Blasphemies

'Literary Blasphemies' is a provocative and witty collection of critical essays by the Irish-American critic Ernest Augustus Boyd. In this sharp-tongued volume, Boyd challenges the sanctified reputations of several pillars of Western literature, stripping away the layers of academic reverence that have accumulated over centuries. By questioning the untouchable status of canonical figures such as William Shakespeare, John Milton, Jonathan Swift, Lord Byron, Charles Dickens, and Thomas Hardy, the author provides a refreshing and often irreverent assessment of their actual literary merits versus their established prestige.With a keen eye for artifice and a commitment to intellectual honesty, Boyd’s 'Literary Blasphemies' serves as a bold exercise in iconoclasm. He invites readers to look beyond the official greatness of these authors and engage with their works as living, breathing texts subject to human flaws. Each essay is crafted with the erudition of a seasoned scholar and the fire of a rebel, making this work a significant contribution to the landscape of early 20th-century literary criticism. It remains a fascinating study for anyone interested in the history of literary reputation and the evolving standards of artistic excellence.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.