Genres in Discourse

by Tzvetan Todorov, Catherine Porter (Translator)

This is a collection in translation of recent essays by Tzvetan Todorov, one of the most eminent of today's literary critics. The essays concentrate on the idea of genre, literary or otherwise, and asks such questions as: What is literature? What is genre? Which are the major literary genres? In the first section, Todorov proposes definitions for the notions of literature, discourse, and genre. Following is a general discussion of the two principal literary genres, fiction and poetry. Finally, in the third section of essays, Todorov examines individual authors as case studies: among them Poe, Dostoyevsky, Baudelaire, Conrad, and James.

Genres: Literary Criticism, Literature, Nonfiction, Theory

148 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

In Bulgarian Цветан Тодоров. Todorov was a Franco-Bulgarian historian, philosopher and literary theoretician. Among his most influential works is his theory on the fantastic, the uncanny and marvellous.

Reviews

[Susu Liski · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 4 essays were really good, essays 5 and 6 were okay but essays 7,8,9 and 10 did not do it for me. The last essays felt more like Todorov was rambling about his favorite books and the theory part of it truly was not explored enough. I almost felt like sometimes Todorov forgot what was the name of this book.

However, the first 4 essays were very interesting. Especially essay number 2 called "The origin of Genres" and essay 4 "Reading as Construction" taught me a lot of knew things and stimulated new ideas into my brain.

[Humphrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't help but be disappointed in the second half after reading the first. I hoped for a richer discussion of discursive interactions amid the system of genres or the lifecycles of genres; many of the second half essays, while sturdy structuralist readings, are more interested in fables of the elusiveness of knowledge.

[John Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok! I had heard a lot about this author and I had been looking forward to reading this book for some time. I felt the theory part was kind of underdeveloped, and the analysis stuff didn't bring the theory in enough. I do want to read the Henry James novel he discussed now, so that's a thing. Woo!

[Gabriel Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"É porque os gêneros existem como uma instituição que eles funcionam como 'horizontes de espera' para os leitores e 'modelos de escritura' para os autores."

[Tauan Tinti · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, arredondado pra baixo, talvez só porque seja a direção do meu ânimo hoje.