Points of View

"Points of View" by Agnes Repplier is a compilation of insightful essays from the late 1800s, where the author examines topics like books, comedy, and the ethics of stories, pondering how these ideas change and affect culture. Repplier uses her clever writing and careful observations to show her thoughtful way of looking at the world as she talks about famous writers, current opinions, and how comedy and seriousness are shifting in writing. The book starts by talking about comedy, noting its decrease and mourning how little of it there is in today's books, and Repplier criticizes the serious mood that has taken over many works of literature, implying that fun has been replaced by moral concerns. She mentions different writers, like Cervantes and Brontë, to back up her thoughts, pointing out the conflict between fun and moral duty in literature, which makes it obvious that her essays are really a request to bring back lightness and real connections through laughter, laying the groundwork for her wider investigations in subsequent writings.