In Defence of Realism [Paperback]

Raymond Tallis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0803294352 | ISBN-13: 978-0803294356 | Publication Date: August 1, 1998 | Edition: 1

In Defence of Realism is a powerful indictment of the fog of bad philosophy and worse linguistics that has shrouded much contemporary literary theory and criticism. Raymond Tallis, one of the most important critics of post-Saussurean literary theory in the English-speaking world, examines the reasons often cited by critics and theorists for believing that realism in fiction is impossible and verisimilitude a mere literary “effect.” He clearly demonstrates not only that the arguments of critics hostile to realism are invalid, but that even if they were sound, they would apply equally to anti-realist fiction, indeed to all intelligible discourse.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Raymond Tallis is a professor of geriatric medicine at Hope Hospital, Manchester University. He is the author of numerous books, including Not Saussure: A Critique of Post-Saussurean Literary Theory; The Explicit Animal: A Defence of Human Consciousness; Newton’s Sleep: The Two Cultures and the Two Kingdoms; and Enemies of Hope.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press; 1 edition (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803294352
• ISBN-13: 978-0803294356
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,798,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4.0 out of 5 stars A look at the philosophy of fiction, July 21, 2010

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Mark (CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Defence of Realism (Paperback)

The first three quarters of this books are an in depth analysis of literary criticism and theory of the postmodern, deconstructionist variety, and in particular the claim that the realist novel is an artifact of the past that serious writer have moved beyond. In the last part of the book Tallis offers his own assessment of the strength and weakness of the realistic novel, and why he believes it should and will remain the primary, most essenmtial genre of fiction, of which other forms are variations. This last part was fascinating and I wish there was more of it. His criticism of 'Theory' in the first part is quite engaging and very effective, as he demonstrates how the claims oF these thinkers are exaggerated and based on flawed ideas in the philosophy of language and cognition. In fact his attacks are so effective that after the first 2 or 3 chapters his point has been made convincingly, and I was ready to move on to his own analysis of realism in fiction. So the middle part of the book became somewhat repetetive as he attacks the exponents of `Theory' from many slightly different angles. Despite this I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the philosophical issues raised by fiction.