NATIONAL BESTSELLERNOMINATED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD“Heroically brave, formidably learned…The Western Canonis a passionate demonstration of why some writers have triumphantly escaped the oblivion in which time buries almost all human effort. It inspires hope… that what humanity has long cherished, posterity will also.”–The New York Times Book ReviewLiterary critic Harold Bloom'sThe Western Canonis more than a required reading list -- it is a vision. Infused with a love of learning, compelling in its arguments for a unifying written culture, it argues brilliantly against the politicization of literature and presents a guide to the great works of the western literary tradition and essential writers of the ages: the "Western Canon." Harold Bloom's book, much-discussed and praised in publications as diverse asThe EconomistandEntertainment Weekly, offers a dazzling display of erudition mixed with passion. For years to come it will serve as an inspiration to return to the joys of reading our literary tradition offers us.