--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But now it seems clear that literary…" description: "\"“But now it seems clear that literary criticism was inherently doomed. Explicitly or otherwise it had based itself on a structure of echelons and hiera..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/martin-amis-704_become-rich_but-now-it-seems-clear-that-literary-cri_1907550.jpg" --- # But now it seems clear that literary criticism was… ![“But now it seems clear that literary criticism was inherently doomed. Explicitly or otherwise it had based itself on a structure of echelons and hierarchies; it was about the talent elite. And the structure atomized as soon as the forces of democratization gave their next concerted push. Those…” quote by Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/martin-amis-704_become-rich_but-now-it-seems-clear-that-literary-cri_1907550.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/martin-amis-704_become-rich_but-now-it-seems-clear-that-literary-cri_1907550.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/martin-amis-704_become-rich_but-now-it-seems-clear-that-literary-cri_1907550.jpg) > ““But now it seems clear that literary criticism was inherently doomed. Explicitly or otherwise it had based itself on a structure of echelons and hierarchies; it was about the talent elite. And the structure atomized as soon as the forces of democratization gave their next concerted push. Those forces – incomparably the most potent in our culture – have gone on pushing. And they are now running up against a natural barrier. Some citadels, true, have proved stormable. You can become rich without having any talent (via the scratchcard and the rollover jackpot). You can become famous without having any talent (by abasing yourself on some TV nerdathon; a clear improvement on the older method of simply killing a celebrity and inheriting the aura). But you cannot become talented without having any talent. Therefore, talent must go. Literary criticism, now almost entirely confined to the universities, thus moves against talent by moving against the canon. Academic preferment will not come from a respectful study of Wordsworth’s poetics; it will come from a challenging study of his politics – his attitude toward the poor, say, or his unconscious ‘valorization’ of Napoleon; and it will come still faster if you ignore Wordsworth and elevate some (justly) neglected contemporary, by which process the canon may be quietly and steadily sapped. A brief consultation of the Internet will show that meanwhile, everyone has become a literary critic – or at least, a book-reviewer.”” [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The rise of democratized media erodes traditional literary hierarchies, making talent and canon less relevant while everyone becomes a critic. **In simple terms:** Democratization weakens elite literary criticism and canon authority. Key Takeaway Recognize the shift and adapt criticism to broader cultural contexts. Themes democratization literary criticism canon talent culture Mood critical reflective Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - university curricula - online book reviews - media platforms - public discourse Key Concepts cultural studies media theory sociology of art Questions to Reflect On - How can criticism remain meaningful in a saturated media environment? - What new criteria should replace traditional canon? A Different Perspective Talent cannot be fabricated; criticism must still assess genuine skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Become rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/become-rich/) [Literary criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-criticism/) ## Related quotes > [“While clearly an impregnable masterpiece, Don Quixote suffers from one fairly serious flaw—that of outright unreadability.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/while-clearly-an-impregnable-masterpiece-don-quixote-suffers-from-one/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [I wouldn't call myself a 'literary critic,' just a book reviewer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-mukherjee/i-wouldn-t-call-myself-a-literary-critic-just-a-book-reviewer/) [Neel Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-mukherjee/) > [“Here the phenomenologist has nothing in common with the literary critic who, as has frequently been noted, judges a work that he could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-bachelard/here-the-phenomenologist-has-nothing-in-common-with-the-literary/) [Gaston Bachelard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-bachelard/) > [“The beauty of being a bookseller is that you don't have to be a literary critic: all you have to do to books is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/the-beauty-of-being-a-bookseller-is-that-you-don-t-have-to-be-a/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [“My advice to a budding literary critic would be as follows. Learn to distinguish banality. Remember that mediocrity thrives on "ideas." Beware of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/my-advice-to-a-budding-literary-critic-would-be-as-follows-learn-to/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [A literary critic is a person who finds meaning in literature that the author didn't know was there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/a-literary-critic-is-a-person-who-finds-meaning-in-literature-that/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [“Soon after I left university, I came up with another definition of a literary critic or would be critic: someoone who uses churlish towards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-murnane/soon-after-i-left-university-i-came-up-with-another-definition-of-a/) Gerald Murnane > [“A literary critic should have no emotions except those immediately provoked by a work of art.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot-3/a-literary-critic-should-have-no-emotions-except-those-immediately/) [T S Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot-3/) > [I've always tried out my material on my dogs first. 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That is a matter entirely for the literary critic to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/no-publisher-should-ever-express-an-opinion-of-the-value-of-what-he/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [A literary critic is someone who can't write, but who loves to show he would have been a wonderful writer if only he could!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lumley/a-literary-critic-is-someone-who-can-t-write-but-who-loves-to-show-he/) [Brian Lumley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lumley/) > [Every literary critic believes he will outwit history and have the last word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/every-literary-critic-believes-he-will-outwit-history-and-have-the/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“As the literary critic and writer Leon Wieseltier remarks, “every technology is used before it is completely understood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-lynch/as-the-literary-critic-and-writer-leon-wieseltier-remarks-every/) [Michael P. Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-lynch/) > [I don't even know what a serious literary critic is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/i-don-t-even-know-what-a-serious-literary-critic-is/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [Any one who chooses will set up for a literary critic, though he cannot tell us where he went to school, or how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-basil/any-one-who-chooses-will-set-up-for-a-literary-critic-though-he/) [Saint Basil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-basil/) ## More by Martin Amis > [“Yeah,' I said and started smoking another cigarette. Unless I inform you otherwise, I'm always smoking another cigarette.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/yeah-i-said-and-started-smoking-another-cigarette-unless-i-inform-you/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“barrios; each barrio has two or three gangs, and all the gangs are theoretically”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/barrios-each-barrio-has-two-or-three-gangs-and-all-the-gangs-are/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [I'm not interested in making a diagnostic novel or a concern. I'm 100 percent committed in fiction to the pleasure principle - that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-m-not-interested-in-making-a-diagnostic-novel-or-a-concern-i-m-100/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“If we all downed tools and joined hands for ten minutes and stopped believing in money, then money would no longer exist. 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When she died, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/in-her-final-months-princess-diana-was-being-shat-upon-by-the/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [If you feel you have a strong constituency among the young, you can really die happy, because the great unanswered question, the only valid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/if-you-feel-you-have-a-strong-constituency-among-the-young-you-can/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [My life looked good on paper - where, in fact, almost all of it was being lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/my-life-looked-good-on-paper-where-in-fact-almost-all-of-it-was-being/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [I say, 'If I had a serious brain injury I might well write a children's book', but otherwise the idea of being conscious of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-say-if-i-had-a-serious-brain-injury-i-might-well-write-a-children-s/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [The future could go this way, that way. The future's futures have never looked so rocky. Don't put money on it. Take my advice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/the-future-could-go-this-way-that-way-the-future-s-futures-have-never/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [Each life is a game of chess that went to hell on the seventh move(...)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/each-life-is-a-game-of-chess-that-went-to-hell-on-the-seventh-move/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [ “There exists a subterranean world where pathological fantasies disguised as ideas are churned out by crooks and half-educated fanatics \[notably the lower clergy\] for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/there-exists-a-subterranean-world-where-pathological-fantasies/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) [Explore all 393 Martin Amis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) ## More Become rich quotes > [The poor think they will be happy when they become rich. 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If you persist you can fulfill any kind of stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/there-are-people-who-want-to-become-rich-they-become-rich-if-you/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [You don't do an experimental film to become rich, so the people who are involved are involved because they enjoy the creative aspect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/you-don-t-do-an-experimental-film-to-become-rich-so-the-people-who/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [“If you care about other people, that's now a very dangerous idea. If you care about other people, you might try to organize to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-care-about-other-people-that-s-now-a-very-dangerous-idea-if/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [To become rich in no time is very easy. The only thing you have to do is to look at those who are poorer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/to-become-rich-in-no-time-is-very-easy-the-only-thing-you-have-to-do/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [No man can Become Rich without enriching others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-miller/no-man-can-become-rich-without-enriching-others/) [Dan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-miller/) > [Marrying to increase love is like gaming to become rich; alas, you only lose what little stock you had before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/marrying-to-increase-love-is-like-gaming-to-become-rich-alas-you-only/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Doing more and more with less and less is one form of being generous. In fact, the easiest way to become rich is by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/doing-more-and-more-with-less-and-less-is-one-form-of-being-generous/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [The greatest reward in becoming a millionaire is not the amount of money that you earn. It is the kind of person that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/the-greatest-reward-in-becoming-a-millionaire-is-not-the-amount-of/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [I think it's weird when you become rich at 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-think-it-s-weird-when-you-become-rich-at-40/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [This is an absolute law: You've got to be rich inside to become and remain rich outside. Become rich inside and your mental equivalent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-victor-hansen/this-is-an-absolute-law-you-ve-got-to-be-rich-inside-to-become-and/) [Mark Victor Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-victor-hansen/) > [He who wishes to become rich wishes to become so immediately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/he-who-wishes-to-become-rich-wishes-to-become-so-immediately/) [Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/) > [Men become richer not only by increasing their existing wealth but also by decreasing their expenditure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/men-become-richer-not-only-by-increasing-their-existing-wealth-but/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) [Browse all 195 Become rich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/become-rich/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But now it seems clear that literary criticism was inherently doomed. 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Academic preferment will not come from a respectful study of Wordsworth’s poetics; it will come from a challenging study of his politics – his attitude toward the poor, say, or his unconscious ‘valorization’ of Napoleon; and it will come still faster if you ignore Wordsworth and elevate some (justly) neglected contemporary, by which process the canon may be quietly and steadily sapped. 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