Dylan's Visions of Sin

'I consider myself a poet first and a musician second.'

'It ain't the melodies that're important man, it's the words.'

Two quotes from Dylan himself that underline the importance of this book. Dylanology thrives. There is no shortage of books about him and many of them will be dusted off for his 70th birthday. This one, however, stands on its own both for its unusual approach and for the virtuosity of its execution. Ricks's scheme, aptly, is to examine Dylan's songs through the biblical concepts of the seven deadly Sins, the four Virtues, and the three Heavenly Graces. He carries it off with panache.

Ricks may be the most eminent literary critic of his generation but nobody should feel his book is one of earnest, unapproachable exegesis, on the contrary it has a flamboyance, almost effervescence about it that is captivating. Ricks boldly and successfully judges Dylan as a poet not a lyricist and makes illuminating comparisons with canonical writers such as Eliot, Hardy, Hopkins and Larkin.

“Ricks's writing on Dylan is the best there is”

-- Alex Ross New Yorker A great case has been made by a great critic (Christopher Ricks) that a great lyricist - Bob Dylan - is, in fact, a poet New York Review of Books The rewards are just as one would expect: a bracing attention to artfulness, a wonderful sensitivity to nuance, and a particularly brilliant sympathy with the purpose and effect of Dylan's rhymes -- Andrew Motion Guardian Everything Ricks has to say about Dylan is original. He is a critic who seems to be talking to you from within the work. He can turn the smallest niche in a poem into a vast cathedral of resonance and implication. -- Bryan Appleyard Sunday Times Bob Dylan is fast becoming rock's equivalent of James Joyce -- Sean O'Hagan Observer Compelling, convincing and challenging work of literary scholarship. -- Alan Taylor Sunday Herald Structured around the concepts of sin, virtue and grace, Ricks's close reading and imaginative cross-referencing will indeed uncover meanings in Dylan's songs that would never have occured to you. -- Anthony Quinn Daily Telegraph Zips along with irrepressible good humour... Ricks's work has the lustre of a lifetime of engagement with greatness. -- Peter Aspden Financial Times Fascinating, there are wonderfully penetrating and illuminating moments to be found. I was never less than stimulated and frequently stirred. -- John Preston Sunday Telegraph Ricks is an exemplar of the diminishingly seen art of "close reading", and explicator of Milton, Keats, Tennyson and Eliot... Such clockwork analysis never seems to drain Dylan's work of its vitality, but rather to renew a listener's amazement... In doing so he's found the songs all the more extraordinary, not wanting in any measure... Ricks's book leads you back to Dylan's music, no small virtue. -- Jonathan Lethem New York Times Book Review * A serious-minded and forensic examination of Dylan's use of language, image and onomatopoeia. -- Peter Murphy Hot Press

Christopher Ricks is Warren Professor of the Humanities, and Co-Director of the Editorial Institute, at Boston University, having formerly been professor of English at the Universities of Bristol and Cambridge. He is a member of the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers, of which he was president from 2007 to 2008. He was Professor of Poetry at Oxford from 2004 to 2009.

A critically-acclaimed examination of Bob Dylan's lyrics as poetry, through the prism of the 7 Deadly Sins 'I consider myself a poet first and a musician second.' 'It ain't the melodies that're important man, it's the words.' Two quotes from Dylan himself that underline the importance of this book. Dylanology thrives. There is no shortage of books about him and many of them will be dusted off for his 70th birthday. This one, however, stands on its own both for its unusual approach and for the virtuosity of its execution. Ricks's scheme, aptly, is to examine Dylan's songs through the biblical concepts of the seven deadly Sins, the four Virtues, and the three Heavenly Graces. He carries it off with panache. Ricks may be the most eminent literary critic of his generation but nobody should feel his book is one of earnest, unapproachable exegesis, on the contrary it has a flamboyance, almost effervescence about it that is captivating. Ricks boldly and successfully judges Dylan as a poet not a lyricist and makes illuminating comparisons with canonical writers such as Eliot, Hardy, Hopkins and Larkin.

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