Reviews

The Problem of Style by John Middleton Murry

friedegger's review

4.0

A lucid exploration of the nature of style in literature. Particularly notable is the discussion of the role of metaphor. In Murray's view, a good metaphor isn't just an ornamental way of expressing something but rather a more precise way of conveying a distinct and specific impression. Many literary metaphors worm their into language and become more imprecise over time as they're stretched to fit various circumstances, and so new metaphors (and novel juxtapositions, neologisms etc.) must continually be crafted.