Lest + it + subjunctive mood

Question

As far as I know, "lest" should always be used with subjunctive mood, yet I find the following sentence quite unnatural, though it satisfies the rule:

We should publish a critique on this method, lest it gain momentum.

Is this example correct? Personally, I find it very hard to read the sentence without automatically replacing "gain" with "gains". I've found a similar example with "anyone", which makes me think that my intuition fails me:

"Lest anyone forget, adolescence is purgatory" (Jon Pareles)

Answer 1

The style of you example is elevated, but correct. Using "lest" is not normally done in plain English. It gives a slightly "showing off" style to the language. I would not recommend language learners use "lest", except in fixed expressions.

In plain English you could say

... or else it might gain momentum.

Answer 2

We should publish a critique on this method, lest it gain momentum.

The subjunctive is the preferred construction in adversatives. But specialised "should" is also readily used: lest it should gain momentum. And it's even possible, though much rarer, to find an ordinary declarative: lest it gains momentum.

Whichever construction is used, "lest" belongs to formal style, and its use is comparatively rare nowadays.