Literature is finally catching up with him, and this compendious, literary extravaganza should spark a Gass revival.” —Kirkus Reviews Throughout his career, William Gass relentlessly pushed at the boundaries of language, celebrating the music of the sentence and the aesthetics of the written word. Essays on Plato, Hobbes, James, Beckett, Joyce, Stein, Gaddis, Sterne, Ford Madox Ford, and Thomas man all come together in this gorgeous volume, along with much more. There are pieces that examine the inner workings of writing. There is his masterful short fiction, from the perfectly crafted novella “In Camera” to the mythical “In the Heart of the Heart of the Country.” And there are excerpts from his novels, including his magnum opus, The Tunnel. This collection is a peerless, essential celebration of literature—and an invaluable guide for anyone who wants to understand how great writing works. “The book is a banquet. . . . Joyous. . . . Superb.” —The Wall Street Journal