James Wood is a highly influential literary critic and essayist known for his sharp prose, insightful analyses, and often provocative opinions on contemporary fiction. He is a staff writer at *The New Yorker* and professor of the practice of literary criticism at Harvard University. Wood's criticism is characterized by its focus on realism, character development, and the moral responsibilities of novelists. He has written extensively on authors ranging from Tolstoy and Woolf to Zadie Smith and Jonathan Franzen, and his books, including "How Fiction Works" and "The Broken Estate: Essays on Literature and Belief," are considered essential reading for aspiring writers and literary enthusiasts alike.
