Meaning of phrases in a passage from nytimes

Question

Sartre and star fever, side by side: this was Mr. Sheldon at his
risible but lovable high-low best.  He was both literate and lurid,
and he made that combination hard to resist.
He achieved his effects by using a secret weapon: his nostalgic
appreciation of Thomas Wolfe, Sinclair Lewis, Ernest Hemingway, F.
Scott Fitzgerald and their storytelling skills.
Thus equipped, and endlessly interested in the rich, powerful and
tragic, he brought class to trash. And he did it with consistent
professionalism, turning himself into a legitimate brand name. If that
sounds like no great accomplishment, think about how rarely an author
does it right.

What do the following phrases mean:

"Mr.Sheldon at his risible but lovable high-low best"
He brought class to trash

In my opinion, high-low is related to a game of cards and being not aquainted with the game, I cannot understand it's meaning
Also I couldn't comprehend the meaning of "class to trash" even after reading few books of Sheldon. Maybe it's something related to his style of writing complex intriguing stories in a simple way thus bring class (interesting plots etc which make good novels) into trash(simplicity).
I am not sure. Would be grateful for any help.

Anton · Accepted Answer

This seems to be about simultaneous contrasting use of writing or notions that are far apart (high or low) in a spectrum of meaning. Hence the pairs Sartre (high) and Star Fever (low), literate (high) and lurid (low).
Similarly, risible material is ludicrous, or folly that provokes laughter. Lovable material provokes affection, warmth, empathy.
I suspect the same polarised analysis applies to class to trash. He brought overtones of high class literacy and good taste to what is normally regarded as low class, light, insubstantial, ephemeral and badly written.
I hope I have expressed this well enough to help.

Meaning of phrases in a passage from nytimes

One Answer

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question