The Routledge Companion to Critical and Cultural Theory

Routledge Companions

by Paul Wake (Editor), Simon Malpas (Editor)

Now in a fully updated second edition The Routledge Companion to Critical and Cultural Theory is an indispensible guide for anyone approaching the field for the first time. Exploring ideas from a diverse range of disciplines through a series of 11 critical essays and a dictionary of key names and terms, this book examines some of the most complex and fundamental theories in modern scholarship With three new essays, an updated introduction, further reading and a wealth of new dictionary entries, this text is an indispensible guide for all students of the theoretically informed arts, humanities and social sciences.

Genres: Nonfiction, Theory

360 pages, Paperback

First published June 19, 2013

Reviews

[Ethan Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offered a really expansive overview of critical theory. I loved the essay on structuralism and semiotics by Kate McGowen. The one of narratology showed me how the things that interest me seem to seep into my cognition. I realized I already knew so much, but there were still things to learn like the way time is treated in narratives. I appreciate ellipsis, as I see that tool utilized in most of my favorite sitcoms. You know where they show the set up, and then, instead of developing things toward a climax, they skip the transition and jump right to climax, and for comedy it works so well. And flash back as humorous exposition. :-) Seth McFarland uses that one a whole lot.

It opened my mind to analytic perspectives that have informed my opinion on life and literature. I initially read it as part of a literary criticism class while pursuing my undergraduate degree. I recently brushed-up to broaden my perspectives on critical theory, but I've since come to realize, I am much more an author than a theorist. Still though, if you need to learn about critical perspectives and abstractions on literature and culture this book is the tool to start with.