Whatever temptation he succumbed to in 1956, in 2008 he refuses the temptation to make an exemplary lesson out of what happened. He does not cast himself as a victim, or as a reformed villain or a misunderstood hero, three narratives that are quite popular in these days of compulsive self-discovery. Now in his 80’s Van Doren still hasn’t discovered himself (do any of us?), still hasn’t been able to plumb the depths of his motivations for actions that remain unfathomable, even to him, especially to him. The best thing about the essay is its refusal to claim self-knowledge while still desiring it.

—Stanley Fish, "None of the Answers." New York Times, August 10, 2008.