▁the ▁results ▁and ▁methods ▁of ▁social ▁history ▁to ▁bear ▁on ▁reading ▁literature . ▁ ▁Value ▁of ▁academic ▁criticism ▁The ▁value ▁of ▁extensive ▁literary ▁analysis ▁has ▁been ▁question ed ▁by ▁several ▁prominent ▁artists . ▁Vladimir ▁N ab ok ov ▁once ▁wrote ▁that ▁good ▁readers ▁do ▁not ▁read ▁books , ▁and ▁particularly ▁those ▁which ▁are ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁literary ▁master pie ces , ▁" for ▁the ▁academic ▁purpose ▁of ▁indul ging ▁in ▁general izations ". ▁Terry ▁E ag leton ▁attributes ▁an ▁uns ung ▁stat ure ▁to ▁literary ▁critics ▁and ▁to ▁criticism ▁in ▁academ ia . ▁He ▁bel ieves ▁that ▁critics ▁are ▁not ▁so ▁well - known ▁and ▁pra ised , ▁to ▁his ▁disappoint ment , ▁and ▁that ▁literary ▁criticism ▁is ▁decl ining ▁in ▁its ▁value ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁manner ▁the ▁general ▁audience ▁is ▁direct ing ▁it ▁towards ▁that ▁under app reci ated ▁state . ▁At ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁C open hagen ▁conference ▁of ▁James ▁Joy ce ▁sch ol ars , ▁Stephen ▁J . ▁Joy ce ▁( the ▁modern ist ▁writer ' s ▁grand son ) ▁said , ▁" If ▁my ▁grand father ▁was ▁here , ▁he ▁would ▁have ▁died ▁la ughing ▁... ▁Dublin ers ▁and ▁A ▁Port rait ▁of ▁the ▁Art ist ▁as ▁a ▁Young ▁Man ▁can ▁be ▁picked ▁up , ▁read , ▁and ▁enjoyed ▁by ▁virt ually ▁anybody ▁without ▁scholar ly ▁gu ides , ▁theories , ▁and ▁intr icate ▁explan ations , ▁as ▁can ▁U ly ss es , ▁if ▁you ▁forget ▁about ▁all ▁the ▁h ue ▁and ▁cry ." ▁He