I had to read this grumpy man's half baked musings for grad school otherwise I would not have finished it.

A generous two stars solely because Birkerts drawn out description of his relationship with reading made me reflect on my own for the first time. It was a genuinely beautiful exercise that has filled me love for reading. He helped me to realize that I've never been alone as a "reader." But I'm not a bibliophile nor do I determine what the proper way to engage with the written word is. His distaste for change and narrow view of what is acceptable literature is grating as it continues throughout the book. Very whiny, even for a critic.