Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) [Paperback]

Jonathan Culler (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 019285383X | ISBN-13: 978-0192853837 | Publication Date: June 15, 2000

What is literary theory? Is there a relationship between literature and culture? In fact, what is literature, and does it matter? These questions and more are addressed in Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction, a book which steers a clear path through a subject which is often perceived to be complex and impenetrable.
Jonathan Culler, an extremely lucid commentator and much admired in the field of literary theory, offers discerning insights into such theories as the nature of language and meaning, and whether literature is a form of self-expression or a method of appeal to an audience. Concise yet thorough, Literary Theory also outlines the ideas behind a number of different schools: deconstruction, semiotics, postcolonial theory, and structuralism, among others.
From topics such as literature and social identity to poetry, poetics, and rhetoric, Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction is a welcome guide for anyone interested in the importance of literature and the debates surrounding it.

About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`It is impossible to imagine a clearer treatment of the subject, or one that is, within the given limits of length, more comprehensive. Culler has always been remarkable for his expository skills, and here he has found exactly the right method and tone for his purposes.' Sir Frank Kermode

About the Author

Jonathan Culler is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Cornell University and a leading figure in the world of literary theory. Praised by Frank Kermode for his "remarkable expository skills," his publications include seminal works on deconstruction and semiology as well as studies of individual authors.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (June 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019285383X
• ISBN-13: 978-0192853837
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #60 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Books & Reading > Reference

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant little book, February 9, 2002

By 

Steven Reynolds (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

This is an excellent text for students new to literary theory, but even the more experienced readers should be delighted by it. Rather than simply making an historical tour through various schools of thought, Culler relegates that to a useful appendix and instead focuses on key questions and concepts, beginning with 'What is Theory?' and 'What is Literature?' - two very good questions which are too rarely asked. He then explores various focuses of literary studies, such as meaning, poetics, narrative and identity. Culler's great skill here is to summarize without simplifying; to make refreshingly plain what other writers seem to delight in rendering obscure. (His cogent analysis of the intersection between literature and cultural studies in Chapter 3 is the clearest and most insightful I've ever read.) Intelligently structured, full of useful examples, and often employing a wryly humorous tone, Culler makes literary theory interesting, inspiring and above all accessible - something any student will undoubtedly appreciate.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, an explanation!, January 29, 2006

By 

Melanie E. Porter (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

I studied literary theory at University for several years, but in all that time I never once heard a professor explain the basic framework that theory operates under. Thank somebody at Oxford University Press and J Culler for finally doing it! Now I can go back with some idea of what it is everyone is assuming I already know.

There are quite a few instances where the author uses terms generally reserved for academic conversation. However, the book is neither trite, nor pandering, nor condescending. It simply explains the basic idea of how literary theory works and what it strives to achieve.

If I ever make to past my doctoral thesis and into an actual teaching sitch, I'd think about using this book with freshmen as a way of introducing theory in an unitimidating way.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars short and sweet, June 8, 2000

By 

"regehr" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

Literary theory is a pretty imposing topic, and it's especially imposing to people like myself who don't have a liberal arts education. So, I was really happy to find Culler's introduction to literary theory. Rather than hiding behind a taxonomy of the various schools of thought, he discusses and attempts to answer some difficult questions: What is theory? What is literature? Why might we care about the answers to these questions? My take on this book is that Culler has successfully managed to convey some of the difficult and interesting challenges of theory to uninitiated readers without dumbing down the subject too much. Recommended.