Review of Australian Literary Criticism edited by Grahame Johnston

Abstract

Professor Johnston's anthology is certain to be attacked by academic critics on several grounds. His critical judgment will be questioned; he will be reviled for including this and not including that, for playing favourites, for not seeing the forest for the trees. Anthologists learn to expect this. Since this is an anthology of literary criticism, however, there will be one further indignity. The editor will be accused of 'spoon-feeding' the public. This epithet haunts many educators, especially those who fear that reliance on second-hand judgments of others destroys or prevents the development of individual critical insight.