LITERARY THEORY AND CRITICISM: An Oxford Guide

by WAUGH

This volume offers a comprehensive account of modern literary criticism, presenting the field as part of an ongoing historical and intellectual tradition. Featuring thirty-nine specially commissioned chapters from an international team of esteemed contributors, it fills a large gap in the market by combining the accessibility of single-authored selections with a wide range of critical perspectives. The volume is divided into four parts. Part One covers the key philosophical and aesthetic origins of literary theory, while Part Two discusses the foundational movements and thinkers in the first half of the twentieth century. Part Three offers introductory overviews of the most important movements and thinkers in modern literary theory, and Part Four looks at emergent trends and future directions.

Genres: Literary Criticism, Theory, Academic, Nonfiction, British Literature, Literature

618 pages, Paperback

Published January 26, 2006

Reviews

[Alok Mishra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not an ideal one for the beginners in literary theory and criticism. If you are a beginner, you should rather go for Beginning Theory by Peter Barry.
Patricia's book is, in fact, a book for the readers and experts in the field of literary theory and criticism - more of scholarly opinion. It is good only if you know enough about the basics, the basics of important literary theories and the basics of important figures related to the field.

[Gaurav Shashi (Book Blogger) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read this book during my studies and also during my time when I used to teach the students junior to me. This book is meant for the experts of literary criticism and theories who are well-aware of the basic facts related to the concepts and subjects and the main theorists.

[Karl Steel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far the best single guide I know. The Bennett and Royle is superb, but they to often resort to the suspended law of non-contradiction. Waugh, by contrast, gives us a great many voices and approaches, and, moreover, by combining both thematic sections and traditional review of schools, provides tools both for the usual intro to lit theory course and far more ambitious courses. Overall, the tendency in Waugh could be said to be typically that of the UK, in that its interests tend towards explorations of the possibilities of resisting capitalism. Oddly, though, for a book whose ultimate affinities may be to Marxism, it is generally resistant to historicism.

There are several essays that, missing the practical point of the book, attempt to shift whole critical discourses rather than providing an introduction to same, especially Paccaud-Huguet on 'Psychoanalysis After Freud,' Hamilton on 'Reconstructing Historicism,' and Punter on 'Anti-Canon Theory.' Some will work, if at all, only with strenuous classroom effort: Bandfield on I.A. Richards, Shereen on the Aristotelian Chicago critical approach, and Onega on Structuralism. Given the size of the book, however, it's no trouble at all to teach only what you think will work best.

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I chose this book I was searching for something onnicomprehensive about literature critics and in a way I got it, but probably I should have chosen something easier because this book keep many information for granted so I was a little bit lost from times to times. Next time I'd choose something smaller to approach this argument step by step.

Quando ho scelto questo libro, l'ho fatto perché stavo cercando qualcosa onnicomprensivo sulla critica letteraria e per certi versi era il libro giusto, ma ora mi rendo conto che avrei dovuto scegliere qualcosa di piú semplice perché questo manuale considera scontate molte informazioni che io non avevo e quindi piú di una volta mi sono "persa". La prossima volta sceglieró qualcosa di piú piccolo in modo da affrontare l'argomento un po' per volta.

[Roy Kenagy]

I was trained in the New Criticism, oh so many years ago. I've kept up fairly well since then, but my primary focus has been aesthetics and cognitive theory, and I feel the need to fill in my occasionally haphazard knowledge of the last 40 years of literary theory. This text should do comfortably as I begin my re-retirement, and the bibliographies make sense as a further guide to the hard stuff.

[Geetanjali Tara Joshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

extensive, hardcore and very informative!

[Rania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very important guide..

[Milan]

Good

[Kylie Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book due to my studies in literature.