“Four impressive lectures about the culture of recent times (from the French Revolution) and the conceivable culture of times to come.” –New Yorker "An all too convincing diagnosis of what is happening to the 'culture' as America leads the world in rejecting wisdom and knowledge for more comfort, which is turning out to be comfortless."—Louis Finkelstein "George Steiner comes to the conclusion . . . that classical humanism is at an end. But he consoles us with the prospect that the intellectual characteristic of the European tradition is irrepressible. It will go on even if it means finding more truths that kill. The seventh door in Bluebeard's castle offers us, in the bankruptcy of hope, the dignity of daring."—New York Times Book Review “In Bluebeard’s Castle is a brief and brilliant book. . . . One of the most important books I have read for a very long time.”—New Society