Literary Analysis Books

Showing 1-50 of 1,883
How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines (Paperback)
by (shelved 18 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.58 — 33,541 ratings — published 2003
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A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 11 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.54 — 23,738 ratings — published 2021
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The Hero With a Thousand Faces The Hero With a Thousand Faces (Paperback)
by (shelved 11 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.13 — 44,451 ratings — published 1949
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On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (Mass Market Paperback)
by (shelved 7 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.34 — 312,816 ratings — published 2000
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How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading (Paperback)
by (shelved 7 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.98 — 27,332 ratings — published
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The Power of Myth The Power of Myth (Paperback)
by (shelved 7 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.26 — 53,314 ratings — published 1988
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The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.28 — 3,210 ratings — published 1964
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A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.84 — 4,039 ratings — published 2011
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Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.77 — 11,703 ratings — published 2006
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Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.33 — 2,673 ratings — published 2008
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Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit (Hardcover)
by (shelved 5 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.23 — 2,745 ratings — published 2012
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How to Read Novels Like a Professor: A Jaunty Exploration of the World's Favorite Literary Form How to Read Novels Like a Professor: A Jaunty Exploration of the World's Favorite Literary Form (Paperback)
by (shelved 5 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.64 — 2,327 ratings — published 2008
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Tolkien On Fairy-stories Tolkien On Fairy-stories (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.32 — 4,678 ratings — published 2008
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An Experiment in Criticism An Experiment in Criticism (ebook)
by (shelved 4 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.20 — 3,265 ratings — published 1961
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Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.29 — 3,713 ratings — published 1942
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Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.65 — 4,537 ratings — published 1997
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Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.03 — 3,676 ratings — published 1998
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A Room of One’s Own A Room of One’s Own (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.22 — 251,260 ratings — published 1929
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The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.83 — 6,230 ratings — published 1975
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Morphology of the Folktale Morphology of the Folktale (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.01 — 2,151 ratings — published 1928
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Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.36 — 2,802 ratings — published 1981
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Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.18 — 137 ratings — published 2001
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Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.22 — 25,721 ratings — published 2020
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The Epic of Gilgamesh The Epic of Gilgamesh (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.75 — 115,510 ratings — published -1200
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Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.03 — 1,971 ratings — published 2022
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The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.94 — 2,938 ratings — published 2011
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Meander, Spiral, Explode: Design and Pattern in Narrative Meander, Spiral, Explode: Design and Pattern in Narrative (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.09 — 2,137 ratings — published 2019
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Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.07 — 5,847 ratings — published 2020
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A Preface to Paradise Lost A Preface to Paradise Lost (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.26 — 1,666 ratings — published 1942
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The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.24 — 7,084 ratings — published 2007
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The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World (Audiobook)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.41 — 7,496 ratings — published 2018
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How Fiction Works How Fiction Works (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.99 — 8,024 ratings — published 2008
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From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.12 — 1,465 ratings — published 1994
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The Tempest The Tempest (Mass Market Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.78 — 223,912 ratings — published 1611
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The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.76 — 1,712 ratings — published 2004
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The Politically Incorrect Guide to English and American Literature The Politically Incorrect Guide to English and American Literature (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.76 — 416 ratings — published 2006
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Literary Theory: An Introduction Literary Theory: An Introduction (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.94 — 5,613 ratings — published 1983
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Why Read Moby-Dick? Why Read Moby-Dick? (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.77 — 4,392 ratings — published 2010
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The Rhetoric of Fiction The Rhetoric of Fiction (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.01 — 1,264 ratings — published 1961
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Rhetorics of Fantasy Rhetorics of Fantasy (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.81 — 350 ratings — published 2008
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The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference: An Indispensable Compendium of Myth and Magic The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference: An Indispensable Compendium of Myth and Magic (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.85 — 672 ratings — published 1998
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The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.22 — 7,108 ratings — published 1981
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On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.28 — 1,454 ratings — published 1981
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The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.96 — 351 ratings — published 2003
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The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume 1: The Middle Ages through the Restoration & the Eighteenth Century The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume 1: The Middle Ages through the Restoration & the Eighteenth Century (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.21 — 9,187 ratings — published 1962
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The Great Code: The Bible and Literature The Great Code: The Bible and Literature (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 4.08 — 643 ratings — published 1981
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How to Read and Why How to Read and Why (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.61 — 3,815 ratings — published 2000
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Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.64 — 1,258 ratings — published 2009
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Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.87 — 10,745 ratings — published 2004
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Danse Macabre Danse Macabre (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as literary-analysis)
avg rating 3.67 — 30,846 ratings — published 1981
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David Foster Wallace
“Anybody gets to ask questions about any fiction-related issues she wants. No question about literature is stupid. You are forbidden to keep yourself from asking a question or making a comment because you fear it will sound obvious or unsophisticated or lame or stupid. Because critical reading and prose fiction are such hard, weird things to try to study, a stupid-seeming comment or question can end up being valuable or even profound.

I am deadly-serious about creating a classroom environment where everyone feels free to ask or speak about anything she wishes. So any student who groans, smirks, mimes machines-gunning or onanism, chortles, eye-rolls, or in any way ridicules some other student's in-class question/comment will be warned once in private and on the second offense will be kicked out of class and flunked, no matter what week it is. If the offender is male, I am also apt to find him off-campus and beat him up.”
David Foster Wallace

Lucy  Carter
“Yeah,” I agreed, “the author just immediately tries to write down as many emotions as possible. Initially, I thought that the method of writing was ineffective, but eventually, I realized how the structure potently manifested her passion for her own thoughts about mental illness and the restrictions of herself and the woman in the yellow wallpaper. First off, the experience-oriented writing was relevant to the conveyance of the author’s ideas, because since the writing was, well, about experiences, the issues the author was addressing appeared to be more based on the reality of society, not a hypothetical model of it, and the issues really were based on the reality of society, since some of the events in the book were actually based on events in the author’s life. Also, the spontaneity and honesty of the writing was an effective choice of the author. I observed that the narrator’s silence in the presence of her husband and her spontaneous and expressive writing were juxtaposed, which emphasized the restrictions the narrator was put in and also her progressive views on mental health and her ability to stay true to herself. Also, this way of writing exemplifies that the narrator had to hold in so much thought because of her restrictions. She wrote without hesitation! In other words, her spontaneous writing and the lack of thematic structure in her writing showed her ability to stay true to her own beliefs.”
Lucy Carter, The Reformation

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