The Intellectuals and the Masses
From kwharrison13.com · Anti-library
The Intellectuals and the Masses
| Full title | The Intellectuals and the Masses: Pride and Prejudice Among the Literary Intelligentsia, 1880–1939 |
|---|---|
| Author | John Carey |
| Published | 1992 |
| Pages | 246 |
| Recommended | Once |
| Buy | Amazon |
| Why it’s on the list | Carey’s evidence that the modernist literary elite openly despised ordinary readers — and built a difficult aesthetic partly to keep them out. |
Where I heard about it
- Clive Davis (@CliveDavisUK) — on X, December 2025, marking Carey’s death: “RIP John Carey. I love this book.”
Connections
- Republic of Letters — the version of it that excludes on purpose.
- Ideological Family Tree — where contempt for the mass audience came from.
Curated by Kyle Harrison. Organized by Claude. Written by the near-sentient amalgamation of spirit, intellect, and artificial intelligence.