The Essayistic Spirit: Literature, Modern Criticism, and the EssayDespite the recognition of a great tradition of essayists who have been admitted to the literary canon, the genre remains underrated and somewhat neglected in literary studies. This wide ranging book argues that to relegate the essay in such a way is to ignore the fact that our modern conception of literature is fundamentally essayistic. De Obaldia explores both the creative potential of the essay and the limits of essayism on the borders of