The author’s current prose is so (i)___________that it is almost unrecognizable in light of his former writing, which was usually noted for its flourishes and flair but often criticized for those same instances of what many considered to be (ii)___________.

The clue for first blank flourishes and flair, the blank should be opposite of this. Only Sparing fits the bill. Eloquent is opposite and rhetorical is out of scope.

For the second blank, the author says that the author's prose are often criticized for being eloquent, grandiloquent is the correct choice.


So, the author actually wants to say is, the current prose is different from his usual style which was usually noted for its flourishes and flair, but this style of writing with flourishes and flair is often criticized by the critics.

IMO C & D

Hope this helps!