Guy Davenport demonstrates his unparalleled critical vision as he interprets art, literature, and culture In this collection of 20 essays, Guy Davenport applies his insightful gaze and critical wisdom to topics including modern art and the effects of the automobile on contemporary society. His work ranges from "What Are Those Monkeys Doing?" in which he links the paintings of Rousseau to the writings of Rimbaud and Flaubert, to "Imaginary Americas," a survey of the different roles America has filled in the imagination of Europeans. Davenport, 1 of the foremost American critics and intellectuals of the 20th century, brings his piercing intellect, encyclopedic references, and careful eye for detail to each piece in Every Force Evolves a Form. Whether writing on the philosophy behind modernism or a study of table manners, the paintings of Henri Rousseau or the design of Shaker handicrafts, Davenport always devotes his full attention and multi-angled analysis to the subject at hand. To read this thought-provoking collection is to see the inner-workings of Davenport's brilliant mind, with its varied fascinations and unparalleled insights.
"Davenport writes in a style that is consistently cultivated and vigorous, elegant and direct. There can be no doubt that, on this occasion, the various forces at work in his fertile mind have evolved the right forms."
The Washington Post Book World
"One of our most gifted and versatile men of letters."
The New York Times
"Davenport is among the very few truly original, truly autonomous voices now audible in American letters."
