Life — December 9, 1909 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a literary criticism essay titled "Some Books I've Not Yet Read: An Experiment" (page 851). The main cartoon depicts a frustrated figure labeled "TO THE LITERARY HEAD" being struck or overwhelmed by a large book—a visual pun on the phrase about books hitting one's head. The essay discusses the author's method for selecting books to read and critiquing unread literature. It's satirizing literary critics who write reviews and opinions about books without actually reading them—a common practice the author observes among book reviewers of the era. The cartoon humorously illustrates this absurdity: a critic literally being "hit" by a book they haven't read, suggesting the pretension and danger of pontificating about literature without genuine engagement.