A collection of critical essays that examine how literature reveals and disguises moral questions, distinguishing high art literature from the literature of life; the author interrogates controversial aspects of notable figures and works (Nietzsche, Casanova, Zola, Huysmans, St. Francis among others), argues for reclaiming simple eternal facts amid contemporary self-congratulation, and affirms personal, hard-won creeds rather than claiming universal truths. Combining biographical detail, psychological reading, and moral critique, the essays privilege the questionable and aim to stimulate readers toward forming their own convictions.