Critical Theory Today 2nd (second) edition Text Only

by Lois Tyson

This new edition of the classic guide offers a thorough and accessible introduction to contemporary critical theory. It provides in-depth coverage of the most common approaches to literary analysis feminism, psychoanalysis, Marxism, reader-response theory, new criticism, structuralism and semiotics, deconstruction, new historicism, cultural criticism, lesbian/gay/queer theory, African-American criticism, and postcolonial criticism. The chapters provide an extended explanation of each theory, using examples from everyday life, popular culture, and literary texts; a list of specific questions critics who use that theory ask about literary texts; an interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby through the lens of each theory; a list of questions for further practice to guide readers in applying each theory to different literary works; and a bibliography of primary and secondary works for further reading. This book can be used as the only text in a course or as a precursor to the studyof primary theoretical works. It motivates readers by showing them what critical theory can offer in terms of their practical understanding of literary texts and in terms of their personal understanding of themselves and the world in which they live. Both engaging and rigorous, it is a "how-to" book for undergraduate and graduate students new to critical theory and for college professors who want to broaden their repertoire of critical approaches to literature.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Literary Criticism, Theory, School, Literature, Reference

Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lois Tyson poured her everything in this book. It's the work of a genius mind. I loved reading this book several times. It changed me for the better.

It was required for my courses, but the book became a friend who was urging me to study while having some fun. Compared to all of the other recommended reading (all men), this book was a ray of sunshine.

Knowledge and wisdom along with insight were distilled in the pages of this book. Complex ideas presented with such simplicity made for a terrific read. I'm a bit disappointed that the author, well, authored just this one book, but the glass is completely full.

[Justin Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until now I've never fallen in love with a textbook. Lois Tyson's approach to critical theory is so caring, so not snobbish, that she's actually able to explain where it comes from, what goals critics have, and why it all matters. She provides brilliant demonstrations from a long list of critical lens, such as psychoanalytic literary criticism, Marxist, Feminist, Reader-response, Deconstructive, and many more. In each chapter she provides her own analysis of The Great Gatsby using that theory.

What I love most is that she actually explains each theory rather than assume the reader knows what they all mean already, which is how my previous experience with theory went. While introducing African American criticism, for example, she includes a segment on Critical Race Theory which I found particularly illuminating. Even on topics I thought I knew, like queer theory, she was able to elevate my understanding of what the theory aims to achieve and why interpreting a novel through that lens can be insightful.

After applying eleven different theories to Gatsby, we get an impressive understanding of the complex scope of the novel, but also how emphasis on certain details can inform interpretation. Some examples are more impressive than others, and some are downright shocking. As she introduced Postcolonial criticism I feared her essay would have to really stretch to apply that to Fitzgerald. It ended up being the most profound.

Although I wouldn't call myself a literary critic, I do review books, of course, and never before have I found myself more in love with the process of interpreting literature and analyzing it. Whether from a single lens, such as Feminist Theory, or from a variety of perspectives. Tyson's wonderful insights into Reader-Response Theory inspired me to get very personal while reading Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis. Practicing this theory for my Goodreads review has been a personal highlight this year.

Having just closed Critical Theory Today moments before writing this, I can honestly say I feel sad it's over. The journey wasn't easy—learning never is—but it was an energizing kind of work. I learned a ton about reading literature, but also a lot about the world that I thought I knew but clearly didn't. I'm sad the book is over because I want to keep growing! Fortunately, learning doesn't end with the book. Now that I have more tools in my belt, I'm excited to start thinking more deeply about literature and try out more of these theories for myself. Watch out Goodreads, you might see more long reviews coming soon!

[Mohammad Ranjbari · Rating 5 out of 5]

کتابی حجیم و طویل ولی در عین حال خوش‌خوان و مفید و کاربردی. حجیم از این نظر که حجم مطالب بیش از استاندارد بود. صفحاتِ با فونتِ ریز و 24 خطی و پر و پیمان، در واقع، شاید بتوان حجم کتاب را هشتصد صفحه دانست. مقدمۀ مفصل، توضیح مبسوط رویکردها و سپس نمونه‌دهی و پیاده کردن نظریات گفته شده بر رمان گتسبی بزرگ.
بسیاری از مباحث برای من تازگی داشت و یا اینکه هرگز به صورت عملی و نمونه آن‌ها را ندیده بودم. سعی اغلب کتاب‌های نقد ادبی صرفاً در این خلاصه می‌شود که بتوانند توضیح خوب و دقیقی از رویکردها ارائه نمایند، به‌ندرت نمونه و تمرینی برای نظریات مطرح شده ارائه می‌کنند. این کتاب، رسالت اصلی خود را نه در توضیح و توصیف رویکردهای ادبی، که در کاربست آن‌ها در مواجهه با متون قرار داده بود. رمانی که این کتاب و نویسندۀ آن برای نمونه‌هی و پیاده‌سازی نظریات انتخاب نموده، رمان «گتسبی بزرگ» است. البته در کنار این کتاب نمونه‌هایی مختصر از کتاب «دل تاریکی» جوزف کنراد و «آبی‌ترین چشم» تونی موریسون نیز ارائه می‌کند.
یادگیری برخی از رویکردهای نوین نقد ادبی برای من لازم و ضروری و مفید بود. چون در کاربست و کاربرد این رویکردها خالی‌الذهن بودم. رویکردهایی چون: نظریۀ نقد نو آمریکایی، نقد واساختی، نظریۀ نقد واکنش خواننده، نقد تاریخی جدید و نقد فرهنگی، نقد پسا استعماری و آفریقایی و آمریکایی

همچنان که گفتم، هر آنچه از این کتاب به صورت عملی یاد گرفتم، در تحلیل کتاب «گتسبی بزرگ» به کار بسته‌ام:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Shaghayegh · Rating 3 out of 5]

حالا که روزهای آخر ترم آخر کارشناسی رو میگذرونم با خودم میگم شقایق تو عجب راه دور و درازی رو طی کردی و تا اینجا دووم آوردی ، دانشگاه من رو با آدم‌ها و اتفاقات زیادی آشنا کرد ، گله‌ای ندارم ولی خب نارفیقی رو بیشتر تجربه کردم تا رفاقت.بیشترین چیزی که به‌خاطرش از خودم ممنونم اینکه به جای گوش کردن به حرف دیگران و رفتن سراغ رشته‌ی مترجمی ، سراغ ادبیات انگلیسی رفتم.عاشق تنوع موضوعاتش شدم ، تو این چهار سال با نقد ، شعر ، تاریخ ، فلسفه ، اسطوره‌های یونانی ، تحلیل شخصیت‌های مختلف ، روش های تدریس ، مقاله‌نویسی و یک مقدار ترجمه آشنا شدم؛سخت بود ولی واقعاً لذت داشت.حالا کم کم چهار سال خاطره داره جمع میشه تو یک برگه کاغذ که بهش میگن مدرک لیسانس...

[Hosein Naseri · Rating 5 out of 5]

بهترین کتاب نظری که تا به حال خوانده‌ام.
ابن کتاب تمامی نظریه‌های پیچیده را که همیشه با لغات سخت و لفاظی همراه بوده‌اند به زبانی ساده کنار هم گرد آورده و ساختاری منظم و هدفمند را تشکیل داده است. من قبل از مواجهه با این کتاب اطلاعات پراکنده‌ای از هر نظریه موجود در کتاب داشتم اما شاهکار کتاب این است که با مرتبط ساختن این نظریه‌ها فهم هر کدام را آسان‌تر می‌کند و آشفتگی ذهنی مخاطب را نظم و سامان می‌دهد.
کتاب از رمان مشهور گتسبی بزرگ به‌عنوان نمونه آزمایشی استفاده می‌کند و در هر فصل طبق نظریه معرفی شده در همان فصل آن را نقد و تحلیل می‌کند. ویژگی‌های زبانی، روایی و معنایی این اثر این امکان را فراهم آورده که از رهگذر نقد آن فهم نظریه‌ها بسیار قابل فهم‌تر شود و آفرین به این انتخاب. پس بهتر است که قبل از خواندن این کتاب آن رمان را خوانده باشید. همچنین ارجاعات و مثال‌های فراوانی از کتاب‌های زیر در کتاب هست که آشنایی با این کتاب‌ها خواندن و فهم کتاب را تسریع می‌کند.
محبوب از تونی ماریسن
آبی‌ترین چشم از تونی ماریسن
فرانکنشتاین از مری شلی
قلب تاریکی از جوزف کنراد

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on critical theory. Easy and accessible, it's helped me write many an A paper.

[livy · Rating 4 out of 5]

slay tyson slay

[Sara Abed · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone interested in literary theory in particular and in viewing literature from a more specified lens in general. All literary approaches are included which is more than can be said of other books on the topic. All are applied to The Great Gatspy, so one can read just one work of art and get a hell of an understanding of it by reading the analyses at the end of each chapter. I highly recommend this one...

[. _M · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books on this topic. But I'm not sure that "The Great Gatsby" is the best example out there to use.

[Erika Schoeps · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite textbooks ever, and probably one of the reasons I changed my major from "Professional Writing" to "Literature." This book takes a conversational, casual tone explaining sometimes difficult subjects.
Although this book feels conversational and casual, it never stumbles into the realm of patronizing.

Sometimes, even though this book was quite casual, I feel as if the author was being unnecessarily wordy. I would sometimes stop and try to rephrase a sentence to be far simpler, and could usually do it with no problem.

I'm planning on buying this book in the future, its a gem and an absolutely necessary resource for every English major out there.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book basically takes the complex jargon of theorists and puts it in exceptionally easy terms. It is almost disappointingly easy, in the sense that you lose the style of the original theorists. Still, it's helpful for overarching concepts and terms. At the end of each section, Tyson uses the theory discussed in that chapter in an essay on The Great Gatsby, allowing one to see the theory applied.

[gay wrongs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be the universal primer on critical theory; it's accessible yet informative, rich with models and abstract philosophy alike.

[Aryen]

i am finished (mentally)

[Helena Jackson · Rating 1 out of 5]

only adding this for page count

[Carita Keim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great entry-level introduction to critical theory today. And yes, this "entry-level" book comes in around 450 pages.

Don't take short-cuts in learning about critical theory.

[Sajjad thaier · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب أكاديمي يقدم النظرية النقدية بشكل بسيط عن طريق شرح مختلف النظريات والتوجهات النقدية ومن ثم تطبيقها جميعاً على رواية غاتسبي العظيم لكي تبين كيف يمكن قراءة عمل واحد من عدة زوايا حسب النظرية أو التوجه الذي يركز عليه الناقد أو القارئ.

for example, as you read the following chapters, I hope it will become clear to you that even our “personal,” “natural” interpretations of literature and of the world we live in—interpretations “unsullied” by theory—are based on assumptions, on ways of seeing the world, that are themselves theoretical and that we don’t realize we’ve internalized. In other words, there is no such thing as a nontheoretical interpretation.

هذا الكتاب هو مقدمة ضرورية وحجر بداية لأي شخص مهتم بالنظرية الأدبية والعلاقات الحديثة ما بين الأدب والسياسية والحركات النسوية وما بعد الاستعمار وحتى التوجهات النقدية التي تركز على الجوانب الجمالية الصرفة للعمل بصرف النظر عن توجهاته الاجتماعية.
يتناول هذه الكتاب النظريات التالية:

Psychoanalytic criticism

Marxist criticism

Feminist criticism

New Criticism

Reader response criticism

Structuralist criticism

Deconstructive criticism

New historical and cultural criticism

Lesbian, gay, and queer criticism

African American criticism

Postcolonial criticism

Who has the time to become politically active, or even politically aware, when one is struggling just to stay alive and feed one’s children?

[Laura S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was reading this book aspartame of my uni course, I gave read most of the theories except one or two. The theories I enjoyed reading about most was feminism, Marxism and psychoanalysis. Tyson creates a clear but comprehensive guide to a beginners look at the theories, but the book is also helpful for more in depth knowledge as I learnt things I didn't know previously about theories. I also liked The Great Gatsby critical readings as not only could you see how the readings were very different but get an idea of how to put them into practice for yourself.

[Christopher]

The chapter on deconstruction is what first attracted me to this book, but I ended up reading the whole thing. Tyson's reader is an ambitious project aimed at "enlarg(ing) our understanding not only of literary works...but also of human experience in general" (p.453). I would say that Tyson succeeded in doing this for me, especially since her book is very different from the kinds I typically read.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful guide to literary criticism (Psychoanalytical, Marxist, Feminist, New Criticism, Reader-response, Deconstructive, New historical and cultural, Lesbian/gay/queer, African American, and Postcolonial. Each theory is explained clearly, has discussion questions, and short essay interpreting Great Gatsby through that theory lens.

[Rubab Ajmal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Idk, I'm just overwhelmed by the amount of information I've just read.

[s · Rating 5 out of 5]

eminently readable! at the end of every chapter tyson applies the framework introduced to the great gatsby, which greatly amused me.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I initially picked this up during the excitement that was decision season. I applied to grad schools for Masters and a few PHD programs. Ultimately, I was waitlisted for the PHD at two schools and got accepted for the Masters at a few schools around the country. After realizing that I would not enjoy going into massive debt for a graduate degree, I decided to stick around in Chicago and attend school at my alma matter.

Back to the review of the actual book and not using my review as a diary entry, Lois Tyson's Critical Theory Today is a exactly what it's subtitle purports itself to be. "A User-Friendly Guide" to the contemporary theories one would use in critical analysis.

I really liked her application of an accessible text of the Great Gatsby as it's a book that we're all too familiar with from high school English classes. Each chapter leaves the reader with an application of the respective chapters theory and ends up with a suggested readers list for beginner and advanced further readings. I definitely will end up looking back at this in the fall as I start up with my Masters in English Literature.

Just don't ask me about signal/signifier stuff.

5 out of 5 stars.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinary and revealing. Not just for “English majors” and even people that want to get more out of literature. Highly, highly recommended for anyone interested in consciousness, morality, social responsibility, and exploring the self. These exceptionally clear and well argued discussions are anything but a dry, academic discourse one may expect from a text. It’s one of those rare books that has the power to change the way you think, relate to the world, and to your self. Also, I highly recommend reading many of the extraordinary short stories and poems referenced - in context (very important)- in addition to many of the novels you may have read. Read Gatsby, then read this book.

*This edition was published in 2015, and in light of BLM and state governments attempting to suppress CRT, it seems Iike an update is very much due for that chapter.

[Douglas Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this one!

[Beck · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Lesbian/Gay/Queer Criticism section belies her complete lack of familiarity with any of these topics. Perhaps it's just that academia is lightyears behind the actual community discussions on these topics, but her writing is regressive, out of touch, and deeply reductive--past the point of mere simplification for a broader audience. And I'm not even holding it to a very high standard; it is simply *that bad*.
She incorrectly defines SEVERAL terms and ideas. She upholds some deeply troublesome ideas that have plagued the community and have fallen out of practice. In the fully updated 2014 edition, she completely incorrectly defines the concept of being transgender. And this is not me nitpicking--she is actually simply factually wrong about the simplest details. She failed to even say "a transgender woman is someone [born male/AMAB] whose gender is actually a woman" which is literally the simplest definition you could provide of the concept. She even got THAT wrong--in 2014. And that was in a footnote of the chapter.
She doesn't even recognize transgender concepts in the chapter, incorrectly lumping it under the category of "queer" and presuming that all lesbians and gay people are cisgender. Her presumptions infect the entire chapter, and the examples and ideas that she provides are rudimentary at best. If this is what students are being given to learn about these concepts, they're being done a serious disservice.
The complete lack of research and professionalism in this chapter has me mistrusting all other information in the book. I'm disgusted that something like this was not only written and allowed to go to print, but also REVISED and REPUBLISHED--TWO MORE TIMES.
Don't spent your actual money on this book. Perhaps some of the other chapters can be considered to have a few more saving graces, so maybe rent it through Kindle if you must. But that she claims to be proficient enough in LGBTQ topics to write a chapter summarizing these ideas is laughable. That she is being lauded for this book is ridiculous and proof of academia's failings.

[ryan wilkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

used in college for my literary theory class. i found it most useful when dissecting literature and applying it to the many forms of literary theory. if remembering correctly, The Great Gatsby is one of those kinds of literary books that can be seen from all forms of literary theory.

i need to find that paper i wrote in my class! luckily i’ve kept all of my lit papers!!!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tyson's introduction to critical theory is very useful. She provides excellent overviews of the types of theories popular in English studies today, and she does a good job of showing the strong and weak points of each. The text is quite readable and well-written, though it does become repetitive at times. Each chapter includes a reading of The Great Gatsby in the style of the theory she has discussed.

[Cameron (readsandwritesbyc) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not read every single critical theory outlined in this book, but I did read most of them and they were phenomenal!
Lois Tyson does a great job of unpacking these very interesting lenses in which to view literature and she greatly helped me apply these theories to my readings.
An overall fantastic book on theory!

[Arjun Ravichandran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating introduction to literary/cultural theory ; covers psychoanalytical, de-constructive, Marxist, structuralist approaches to literature, culture and thus life.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read and well written with a good layout- All I ask for in a theory book.