Introduction to Literature Criticism & Theory 3rd Edition

'The best introduction to literary study on the market' Jonathan Culler,

Cornell University'

'The most un-boring, unnerving, unpretentious textbook I've ever come across'

Elizabeth Wright, University of Cambridge

'It is by far the bext and most readable of all such introductions that I know of...The treatment of the various topics is masterful, even-handed, and informative. I cannot think of a better introduction for undergraduates, to be sure, but for many graduate students too.'

Hayden White, University of California at Santa Cruz

I don't know of any book that could, or does, compete with this one. It is irreplaceable'

Richard Rand, University of Alabama

(Bennett and Royle have) cracked the problem of how to be introductory and sophisticated, accessible but not patronising.'

Peter Buse, English Subject Centre Newsletter

An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory provides a completely fresh  and original introduction to literary studies.

Bennett & Royle approach their subject by way of literary works themselves (a poem by Emily Dickinson, a passage from Shakespeare, a novel by Salman Rushdie), rather than by way of abstract theoretical ideas and isms. In thirty-two short chapters they focus on a range of familiar-looking terms (character, the author, voice, narrative) as well as less obvious ones (laughter, pleasure, ghosts, secrets) in order to show why such literary texts are so compelling. This third edition updates and expands on earlier editions, and includes new chapters on:

• creative writing
• literature and film
• war
• monsters, mutants and the inhuman

An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory avoids what is so frequently tiresome or intimidating about 'theory', offering instead an introduction that is consistently entertaining, thought provoking and surprising.

 

The Authors

The authors have wide experience of teaching and lecturing on literature and literary theory at universities in Britain, Europe and the United States. Andrew Bennett is  Professor of English at the University of Bristol and Nicholas Royle is Professor English at the University of Sussex.

'I don't know of any book that could, or does, compete with this one. It is irreplaceable'

Richard Rand, University of Alabama

¿¿this excellent book is very well-written and an outstanding introduction to literary studies. One of the most stimulating introductions available'

Robert Eaglestone, Royal Holloway, University of London

"An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory, 3e" offers a new way of thinking about literature and what is involved in reading critically. The key elements of this book that make previous editions so popular are its clear, highly accessible articulation of ideas, the wide range of texts used as illustrative examples, and its witty, humorous style. The third edition includes new chapters on film, creative writing, the mutant: exploring general issues of mutation and mutability, including environmental issues, genetic engineering and cloning, and on war. For readers interested in Literary theory and criticism.

A new edition of one of the market leading texts for those interested in critical theory and its effect on our reading of the English literary canon. Renowned for its accessible, witty style, the new edition is updated throughout and contains four new chapters to reflect the continuing development of the subject.

 

* The key elements of this book that make it so popular are its clear, highly accessible articulation of ideas, the wide range of texts used as illustrative examples, and its witty, humourous style.

* Number 1 textbook on our Literature list.

* Literary Theory & Criticism is the only major, core course in English departments - every Literature student will study it.

* A new chapter on Creative Writing - currently the biggest 'growth area' in the Humanities in the UK.

The authors have wide experience of teaching literature and literary theory at universities in Britain, Finland and Denmark.

Andrew Bennett is currently Professor of English at the University of Bristol. He has also authored: 'Romantic Poets and the Culture of Posterity' (CUP) and 'Katherine Mansfield' (Northcote House, 2003).

Nicholas Royle is currently Professor of English at the University of Sussex. He is the author of: 'The Uncanny: An Introduction' (MUP) and 'Jacques Derrida' in the Routledge Critical Thinkers Series.

 

1 The beginning

2 Readers and reading

3 The author

4 The text and the world

5 The uncanny

6 Monuments

7 Narrative

8 Character

9 Voice

10 Figures and tropes

11 Creative writing

12 Laughter

13 The tragic

14 History

15 Me

16 Ghosts

17 Moving pictures

18 Sexual difference

19 God

20 Ideology

21 Desire

22 Queer

23 Suspense

24 Racial difference

25 The colony

26 Mutant 

27 The performative

28 Secrets

29 The postmodern

30 Pleasure

31 War

32 The end

Glossary

Select bibliography of other introductory texts and reference works

Literary works discussed

Bibliography of critical and theoretical works