Skip to content

The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel Paperback - 2005

by James Wood


From the rear cover

James Wood has been called our best young critic. This is not true. He is our best critic; he thinks with a sublime ferocity.--Cynthia Ozick

Following the collection The Broken Estate--which established James Wood as the leading critic of his generation--The Irresponsible Self confirms Wood's preeminence, not only as a discerning judge but also as an appreciator of contemporary novels.

In twenty-three passionate, sparkling dispatches, he effortlessly connects his encyclopedic, passionate understanding of the literary canon with an equally earnest and appreciative view of the most discussed authors writing today, including Franzen, Pynchon, Rushdie, DeLillo, Naipaul, David Foster Wallace, and Zadie Smith.

This collection includes Wood's famous and controversial attack on hysterical realism, and his sensitive but unsparing examinations of White Teeth and Brick Lane. The Irresponsible Self is indispensable reading for anyone who cares about modern fiction.

Inimitable...He has not only a well-tuned ear for prose but a remarkable ability to convey how novelistic language transubstantiates life into literature...Wood's essays...vibrate with the difficult, serious pleasure that literature uniquely provides.--A.O. Scott, New York Times Book Review

Wood writes with such felicity and zeal that one feels neither the inclination nor the possibility of disagreeing with him...[His] enthusiasm provides such an attractive alternative to the truculence of Dale Peck, and the bloodlessness of 'in-house' academic criticism.--Robert McFarlane, The Times Literary Supplement

James Wood was the chief literary critic of The Guardian and is a senior editor at The New Republic. His previous work includes The Book Against God (Picador, 2004).

Details

  • Title The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel
  • Author James Wood
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reprint
  • Pages 320
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher St. Martins Press-3PL, New York
  • Date 2005-04-01
  • Features Table of Contents
  • ISBN 9780312424602 / 0312424604
  • Weight 0.7 lbs (0.32 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.1 x 5.4 x 1 in (20.57 x 13.72 x 2.54 cm)
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2003022955
  • Dewey Decimal Code 809.391

Media reviews

Citations

  • New York Times, 04/24/2005, Page 28

About the author

James Wood was the chief literary critic of The Guardian and is a senior editor at The New Republic. His previous work includes The Book Against God (Picador, 2004).

Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel

by James Wood

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780312424602 / 0312424604
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Simi Valley, California, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 2 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
€1.89
€3.77 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Picador, 2005-04-01. Paperback. Good. 1.0000 8.1000 5.2000.
Item Price
€1.89
€3.77 shipping to USA
The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel

by Wood, James

  • Used
Condition
UsedVeryGood
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780312424602 / 0312424604
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Skokie, Illinois, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
€3.60
€3.77 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
UsedVeryGood.
Item Price
€3.60
€3.77 shipping to USA
The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel

by James Wood

  • Used
  • Very Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780312424602 / 0312424604
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Syracuse, New York, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
€4.72
€5.67 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Picador, April 2005. Trade Paperback. Very Good/None. Some pencil underlining. ; 8.1 X 5.2 X 1.0 inches; 336 pages
Item Price
€4.72
€5.67 shipping to USA
The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel

The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel

by Wood, James

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780312424602 / 0312424604
Quantity Available
3
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
€5.66
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
St. Martins Press-3PL, 2005. Paperback. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
€5.66
FREE shipping to USA
The Irresponsible Self : On Laughter and the Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Irresponsible Self : On Laughter and the Novel

by Wood, James

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780312424602 / 0312424604
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
€7.16
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Picador. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
€7.16
FREE shipping to USA
The Irresponsible Self : On Laughter and the Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Irresponsible Self : On Laughter and the Novel

by Wood, James

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780312424602 / 0312424604
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
€8.55
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Picador. Used - Very Good. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.
Item Price
€8.55
FREE shipping to USA
The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel

by Wood, James

  • Used
  • Paperback
  • first
Condition
Used - Fine copy
Edition
1st
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780312424602 / 0312424604
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Pittsford, New York, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
€9.45
€3.78 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
New York: Picador / FSG. Fine copy. 2005. 1st. softcover. 8vo, 320 pp. .
Item Price
€9.45
€3.78 shipping to USA
The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel

The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel

by James Wood

  • New
  • Paperback
Condition
New
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780312424602 / 0312424604
Quantity Available
10
Seller
Southport, Merseyside, United Kingdom
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
€21.54
€11.92 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Paperback / softback. New.
Item Price
€21.54
€11.92 shipping to USA
Irresponsible Self : On Laughter And The Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Irresponsible Self : On Laughter And The Novel

by JAMES WOOD

  • New
Condition
New
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780312424602 / 0312424604
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Wichita, Kansas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
€21.73
€3.77 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
St Martins Pr, April 2005. Paper Back. New.
Item Price
€21.73
€3.77 shipping to USA
The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel

by Wood, James

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780312424602 / 0312424604
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Newport Coast, California, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
€36.41
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. May be an ex-library book.
Item Price
€36.41
FREE shipping to USA