"Whom the gods wish to destroy," writes Cyril Connolly, "they first call promising." First published in 1938 and long out of print, Enemies of Promise , an "inquiry into the problem of how to write a book that lasts ten years," tests the boundaries of criticism, journalism, and autobiography with the blistering prose that became Connolly's trademark. Connolly here confronts the evils of domesticity, politics, drink, and advertising as well as novelists such as Joyce, Proust, Hemingway, and Faulkner in essays that remain ...
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"Whom the gods wish to destroy," writes Cyril Connolly, "they first call promising." First published in 1938 and long out of print, Enemies of Promise , an "inquiry into the problem of how to write a book that lasts ten years," tests the boundaries of criticism, journalism, and autobiography with the blistering prose that became Connolly's trademark. Connolly here confronts the evils of domesticity, politics, drink, and advertising as well as novelists such as Joyce, Proust, Hemingway, and Faulkner in essays that remain fresh and penetrating to this day. "A fine critic, compulsive traveler, and candid autobiographer. . . . [Connolly] lays down the law for all writers who wanted to count. . . . He had imagination and decisive images flashed with the speed of wit in his mind."-V. S. Pritchett, New York Review of Books "Anyone who writes, or wants to write, will find something on just about every single page that either endorses a long-held prejudice or outrages, and that makes it a pretty compelling read. . . . You end up muttering back at just about every ornately constructed pens???e that Connolly utters, but that's one of the joys of this book."-Nick Hornby, The Believer "A remarkable book."-Anthony Powell
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Add this copy of Enemies of Promise to cart. $5.91, like new condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by Andre Deutsch Ltd.
Add this copy of Enemies of Promise to cart. $6.72, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 1982 by Persea Books.
Add this copy of Enemies of Promise to cart. $6.72, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1982 by Persea Books.
Add this copy of Enemies of Promise to cart. $6.72, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1982 by Persea Books.
Add this copy of Enemies of Promise to cart. $6.72, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1982 by Persea Books.
Add this copy of Enemies of Promise to cart. $6.73, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Diamond rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1983 by Persea Books.
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Add this copy of Enemies of Promise to cart. $6.98, good condition, Sold by Sixth Chamber Inc. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from River Falls, WI, UNITED STATES, published 1982 by Persea Books.
Add this copy of Enemies of Promise to cart. $7.33, fair condition, Sold by Zoom Books East rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Glendale Heights, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by University of Chicago Press.
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Fair. Book is in acceptable condition and shows signs of wear. Book may also include underlining highlighting. The book can also include From the library of labels. May not contain miscellaneous items toys dvds etc. We offer 100% money back guarantee and 24 7 customer service.
Add this copy of Enemies of Promise to cart. $8.03, good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1982 by Persea Books.
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Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
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Cyril Connelly's Enemies of Promise, first published in 1948, is an interesting glimpse of a learned literary comment on English and some American fiction of the early half of the 20th century. For a reader looking for insight into today's fiction, it is dated and much of it is irrelevant. Cyril Connolly was an influential, although highly opinionated, critic of his time. The book, I believe, would best serve the interests of a literary historian.
