Introduction to Literature,
Criticism & Theory
3rd edition
By Andrew Bennett & Nicholas Royle
October 2004
Pearson / Longman
Distributed by Trans-Atlantic Publications
ISBN: 9780582822955
344 pages, 6 x 9 1/8"
$52.50 Paper Original
An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory offers a new way of thinking about literature and what is involved in reading critically.
Literary theory is a core subject in the study of literature.But theory
- especially when it takes the form of 'isms' - can often be intimidating
or boring for students. Bennett & Royle have avoided simply giving potted
summaries of 'isms' and instead present brief essays on a range of key critical
concepts all of which have more or less familiar names. These concepts are
put into practice through readings of particular literary texts.
Contents
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
Features
- A new chapter on Film. This chapter explores the ways in which literature helps us to think about film, and, correspondingly, how studying film helps us to think about literature.
- A new chapter on Creative Writing .
- A new chapter on the Mutant: exploring general issues of mutation and mutability, including environmental issues, genetic engineering and cloning.
- A new chapter on War: exploring the questions 'what is war?', 'what is war literature?' and 'in what ways is literary or cultural theory itself at war?'
- All existing chapters updated and revised in light of recent developments in the field.
- Updated and expanded further reading sections.
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.
Reviews
'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'
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