The Functions of Criticism and the Politics of Appreciation

Abstract

This article suggests that ‘appreciation’ as defined by Walter Pater is a genre of criticism distinguished from that of Matthew Arnold’s critical practice and theory. I consider how appreciation functions as a critical mode in Pater’s periodical reviews, testing Pater’s resolve in how he manages it in respect to reviews of books on controversial subjects such as religion, aestheticism, and revolution. The article ends with a case study of Pater’s signed review of W. S. Lilly’s critique of the French Revolution in a book published during its centenary in 1889, a review that exemplifies the high stakes of reviewing and Pater’s review at this time, just as Appreciations is published. The case study explores how the genre of appreciation meets the challenges of the timing of the review; the site of its publication; and Pater’s relationship to the author, to the editor, and to his own publisher.