Blackwell Guide to Literary Theory - Softcover

Castle, Gregory

3.6

48 ratings by Goodreads

9780631232735: Blackwell Guide to Literary Theory

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0631232737 ISBN 13: 9780631232735

Publisher: John Wiley &Sons, 2007

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This student-friendly text introduces students to the history and scope of literary theory, as well as showing them how to perform literary analysis.

Designed to be used alongside primary theoretical texts as an introduction to theory or alongside literary texts as a model for performing literary analysis.
Presents a series of exemplary readings of particular literary texts such as Jane Eyre, Heart of Darkness, Ulysses, To the Lighthouse and Midnight's Children.
Provides a brief history of the rise of literary theory in the twentieth century, in order that students understand the historical contexts for different theories.
Presents an alphabetically organized series of entries on key figures and publications, from Adorno to Žižek.
Features descriptions of the major movements in literary theory, from critical theory through to postcolonial theory.

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Book Description:

Gregory Castle's Blackwell Guide to Literary Theory is based on the premise that the best way for literature students to learn about theory is to offer them a number of contexts in which to study it. Castle provides a brief history of the rise of literary theory in the twentieth century as well as a series of alphabetically organized entries on key figures, from Adorno to }i~ek, giving students a sense of the wide range of thinkers who have contributed to literary theory.At the center of the Guide are detailed descriptions of the major movements of literary theory, from cultural studies to feminism to postcolonialism, which gives students a sense of its scope and diversity. The Book provides a number of exemplary readings of literary texts, including Jane Eyre, Heart of Darkness, Ulysses, Mrs Dalloway and Midnight's Children. Each of these texts is interpreted using several theoretical approaches, demonstrating different ways of performing literary analysis. The Guide also includes an in-depth glossary and helpful suggestions for reading with theory.

From the Back Cover:

More than eighty years ago, the English literary critic, I. A. Richards, spoke of a “chaos of critical theories,” an assessment that would not be wide of the mark in the early years of the twenty-first century. This innovative guidebook introduces readers to the sometimes forbiddingly arcane world of literary theory, focusing on its fundamental concepts, and the most prominent and influential theoretical figures and movements.

The Blackwell Guide to Literary Theory:

Explores the rise of literary theory from the late nineteenth century to the dawning of the twenty-first
Outlines the major movements of literary theory, among them Deconstruction, Marxist theory, New Historicism, and Reader-Response theory
Includes alphabetically organized biographies of key figures, from Adorno to Žižek
Offers a number of exemplary theoretical readings of literary texts, including Jane Eyre, Heart of Darkness, Ulysses, To the Lighthouse, and Midnight's Children
Features an in-depth glossary of complex theoretical terms, and useful suggestions for further reading.

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