H.L. Mencken's Smart Set Criticism

by H.L. Mencken

Book Overview

"One finds in Mr. Nolte's selection the original reviews, then so unconventional, of Conrad, Huneker, and Dreiser...I am glad to find old pieces I remember and that Mencken never collected -... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 089526790X
• ISBN13: 9780895267900
• Release Date: January 1987
• Publisher: Gateway Editions
• Length: 349 Pages
• Weight: 3.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Not for the buncombe set...

If not for Mencken's absurd racial theories (sadly common at that time)hovering in the background, this would get five stars. Conversely, there are many witty, incisive aspects to his criticism on display in Smart Set, which is also richly represented in the more comprehensive Mencken Chrestomathy. Smart Set is an interesting historical document. Unfortunately, many of his political criticisms remain applicable to today's buncombe peddlers. He was not afraid to challenge the establishment of his time. Availability of an unabridged dictionary, along with a sense of humor, adds to the enrichment.