Little lit quiz to ponder over your coffee this morning. Whose work is the subject of the following quotation?
Each novel is a formidable engine of strategy. It is made to be–a marvel of designing and workmanship, capable of spontaneous motion at the lightest touch and of travel at delicately controlled but rapid speed toward its precise destination. It could kill us all, had s/he wished it to; it fires at us, all along the way, using understatements in good aim. Let us be thankful it is trained not on our hearts but on our illusions and our vanities.
For bonus points and to really knock my socks off, name the critic too. Now, as far as I can tell this quiz is not self-checking via Google. But there may be tricks of the trade I’m not taking into account. If you want me to check your work, drop a line to ogic@artsjournal.com, or just sit tight and I’ll post the answers on Thursday.
The blogging forecast predicts continued fluff and diversions through the end of the week. It’s just that kind of week around here.