It’s an intellectual treat when somebody reviews a really good book, when the reviewer sinks their teeth into an author’s work, adding additional nuance and insight in a review which both explains and expands on the original argument and analysis.
It may be an intellectual treat, but let’s be honest: it’s not half as much fun as when somebody absolutely goes to town on a book (Think: Joseph Esherick eviscerating James Hevia a decade back) shredding it with analysis and a bit of wit.
For those who enjoy a good dust-up (and who among us doesn’t?) be sure to check out Pierre Fuller’s scorch of Jasper Becker’s new book, Beijing: City of Heavenly Tranquility.
I’ve not read Becker’s book yet, so I can’t speak to the validity of Fuller’s critique, but the review was fun to read…the literary equivalent of a crane kick to the face. By the end of it, I could hear the faint voices of academia whispering: “Finish him, Johnny! Sweep the leg!”