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Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar’s newestcollaboration, FeministLiterary Theory andCriticism: A Norton Reader, is the firstcollection to trace thehistorical evolution offeminist writing about literature in English from the Middle Ages to thetwenty-first century.With selections by more than 100writers and scholars, the Reader is anideal companion forliterature surveys where critical and theoretical texts are featured, as well asarich, flexible core text foradvanced courses infeministtheory and criticism. The Reader can be packaged with the Norton Anthology ofLiteratureby Women, Third Edition, at a substantialdiscount. ... Read more

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The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism has become the indispensable resource for scholars and students of literary theory and discourse. The long-awaited second edition includes 48 new entries and subentries and has been revised throughout, taking account of ten years of rapidly changing scholarship.

While concentrating on the explosion of contemporary critical and theoretical works, the Guide presents a comprehensive historical survey of ideas and individuals ranging from Plato and Aristotle to twentieth-century scholars. It includes more than 240 alphabetically arranged entries on critics and theorists, critical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods. It also examines developments in other disciplines which have shaped literary theory and criticism. An international, encyclopedic guide to the field's most important figures, schools, and movements, the new edition reflects the state of literary theory and criticism.

Customer Reviews (3)

All the benefits and liabilities of a good encyclopedia
Theory, so called, is vast and complex and historical and contradictory. This volume is brief and clear and present oriented and structural. That the field and its survey are incommensurate isnecessary, but the user should be aware of these limitations. The entries are clear and non-dogmatic but they must betray the liabilities of summary: concise average readings that hide problems, relations, and other voices. At root, modern theory is not intelligible without philosophical contexts that go to the pre-socratics, but that cannot appear here. Some choices of inclusion and exclusion seem odd: a separate entry for Orwell and none for Deleuze, for instance. But on the whole, this book is useful and well done.

I bought it which is my highest rec.

The Literary Reference Guide
I'm going back into a Masters Program and plan to teach English for a living. Already this book has proved to be a valuable resource when surveying various schools of criticism. The cross-referenced index is a bit confusing, but this is a nice book that you may want to sit down with and read for awhile anyway. I've found some wonderful items in here, and it's fun to flip through, looking for previously unknown literary schools that may catch my interest. It's a great reference book, but also a compelling source of information and direction. I laid out the bucks for this book because I know it will be a handy reference for the next thirty years. Already it's directed me to some outside reading that has proved quite profitable. I'll keep this guide close by as long as I am a student of Literature.

Highly recommended to get your theoretical bearings
Provides a consise, and yet sufficiently nuanced and complex, summary oftheoretical schools, practitioners, terms, and trends.Hefty and yetreadable reference material -- cross-indexed with more thoroughbibliographies for each entry. ... Read more

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This anthology of newly-translated texts covers the single most important branch of medieval literary theory and criticism--the commentary tradition--in one of the most significant periods of its development. Fully annotated with notes and introductions, the selections encompass a wide range of topics--including authorship, ethics, symbolism, biography, poetics, allegory, and semiotics--and represent many important writers--including Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, Grosseteste, Abelard, and Peter Lombard. ... Read more

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Written in concise and clear language, this book offers an historical overview of literary criticism and theory throughout the twentieth century along with a close analysis of some of the most important and commonly taught texts from the period.

• Provides an accessible introduction to modern literary theory and criticism
  
• Places various modes of criticism within their historical and intellectual contexts
  
• Offers close readings of some of the major critical texts of the period
  
• Explores the works of a diverse group of 20th-century writers, including Babbitt, Woolf, Bakhtin, Heidegger, Lacan, Derrida, Judith Butler, Zizek, Nussbaum, Negri and Hardt
  
• Covers formalism, psychoanalysis, structuralism, deconstruction, Marxism, feminism, reader-response criticism, historicism, gender studies, cultural studies, and film theory

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This essential anthology of Poe’s critical works features items from the Southern Literary Messenger, Graham’s Magazine, and other periodicals, reviewing works by Dickens, Hawthorne, Cooper, and many others. The Theory of Poetry–consisting of "The Philosophy of Composition," "The Rationale of Verse," and "The Poetic Principle"–appears as well. Introduction.
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"Ecofeminist Literary Criticism" is the first collection of its kind: a diverse anthology that explores both how ecofeminism can enrich literary criticism and how literary criticism can contribute to ecofeminist theory and activism. Ecofeminism is a practical movement for social change that discerns interconnections among all forms of oppression: the exploitation of nature, the oppression of women, class exploitation, racism, colonialism. Against binary divisions such as self/other, culture/nature, man/woman, humans/animals, and white/non-white, ecofeminist theory asserts that human identity is shaped by more fluid relationships and by an acknowledgment of both connection and difference.Once considered the province of philosophy and women's studies, ecofeminism in recent years has been incorporated into a broader spectrum of academic discourse. "Ecofeminist Literary Criticism" assembles some of the most insightful advocates of this perspective to illuminate ecofeminism as a valuable component of literary criticism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Contribution to literary criticism of ecofeminist literature & movement
This collection of papers on ecofeminism follows the authors' intention to present a representative sampling of diverse approaches to discussing ecofeminism. Gaard is well regarded as a leading voice on the topic and her writing reflects the professionalism of analytic techniques applied to ecofeminist literature. A surprise in the collection was Cathleen and Colleen McGuire's description of the issues in coordinating a women's reading group on ecofeminist topics ("Grass-Roots Ecofeminism: Activating Utopia"), which they called EVE (Ecofeminist Visions Emerging). While this paper focuses on their efforts with a reading group, it does cover two works of ecofeminist utopian literature, Piercy's _Woman on the Edge of Time_ and Starhawk's _The Fifth Sacred Thing_. As part of this collection, I would have found it more satisfying to read greater depth in their thinking about these works. Their point (in part) was that one does not need to follow the orthodoxy of literary criticism to have something valid to contribute to the dialogue. Fair enough.

Ecological crossroads: a must for bus stops or mountain huts
If you need a new way of reading more than you need a new book, buy Ecofeminist Literary Criticism. The mailman handed me my copy as I was leaving town for the Adirondack High Peaks. I took a field guide out of mybackpack and slipped this treasure in instead.There would be no book likeit on the "library" shelves at the Johns Brook Lodge. None of theADKers (Adirondack Mountain Club members), none of the staff interns(ecology students from Cornell University), none of the eco-tourists (whoshopped for nature writing at The Mountaineer) would have donated readingas revolutionary as this. This is a book of trailblazers.

In EcofeministLiterary Criticism, Greta Gaard and Patrick D. Murphy feature essays byyoung academics who have examined recent literary works by Octavia Butler,Linda Hogan, Ana Castillo, Ursula LeQuin, Pat Mora, Sally Tisdale, NoraNaranjo-Morse (and many more).I knew that none of these women's workswere on the lodge shelves next to well-worn nature writers.But, I alsoknew hikers gathering at the lodge would be hungry for the ideas thesewomen (and their scholars) offer.

Dinner conversations revealed as much.The former forest technician now factory worker (union steward), no doubthad read little Chicana fiction, but our discussions of labor politics andenvironmental injustice were in tune with Kamala Platt's"EcocriticalChicana Literature: Ana Castillo's 'Virtual Realism.'"His wife,school psychologist on her first backpacking trip, found a perfect guide inGreta Gaard's "Hiking without a Map: Reflections on TeachingEcofeminist Literary Criticism."For the mother and daughter readinga Kingslover novel aloud, there is Karla Armbruster's "'Buffalo Gals,Won't You Come Out Tonight': A Call for Boundary-Crossing in EcofeministLiterary Criticism" or Stacy Alaimo's "'Skin Dreaming': TheBodily Transgressions for Fielding Burke, Octavia Butler, and LindaHogan" -- either essay would invite the women to reread the novel inhand as well as their lives on and off trail. For the cook studying primatecognition, I suggest Deborah Slicer's "Toward an EcofeministStandpoint Theory: Bodies as Grounds."Those eager to ask difficultquestions about the interaction of human and non-human will devour thisbook, applying its lessons to other texts and contexts.

Hikers at JohnsBrook Lodge, although often maligned as narrow-minded eco-tourists who seeecology as aBig Outside to be mapped and traversed, are ready for thescholars and activists featured in Ecofeminist Literary Criticism. Thisbook, intended to transform English Studies in universities, needs to beread at bus stops and mountain huts. Plan on leaving a copy at thecrossroads.

Lori J. Anderson

P.S.I am a poet, one of the womenspeaking in Patrick D. Murphy's essay, "'The Women are Speaking':Contemporary Literature as Theoretical Critique."As Gaard and Murphyassert, feminists tend to ignore the ecology in literary works. Criticsoften praise sexual politics or language experiments in my collection butdownplay my ecological concerns.Patrick D. Murphy places my work in thecontext of contemporary ecofeminism: for that, I am indebted to him. Heoffers by far the best reading of my often misunderstood title, CultivatingExcess.He teaches me new ways of articulating my own goals. EcofeministLiterary Criticism will be essential in forming my new work. ... Read more

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In the landmark 1991 edition of Feminisms, Robyn Warhol and Diane Price Herndl assembled the most comprehensive collection of American and British feminist literary criticism ever published. In this revised edition, the editors have updated the volume, in keeping with the expanding parameters of feminist literary discourse. With the inclusion of more than two dozen new essays, along with a major reorganization of the sections in which they appear, Warhol and Price Herndl have again established the measure for representing the latest developments in the field of feminist literary theory. Believing that the feminist movement can only move forward "where difference commands attention, not dismissal or negativism," they have continued the original collection's mission of providing a multiplicity of perspectives and approaches. This revised edition contains three new sections ("Conflict," "Gaze," and "Practice") and includes more selections by and about women of color and lesbians. ... Read more

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Feminisms: An Anthology of Literary Theory and Criticism.
This anthology is a must for anyone studying feminist criticism. It covers a broad range of topics and as well is relatively new (1997). Read it and learn about this new and exciting field, or read it simply to enrich yourcurrent knowledge of criticism. Either way, this one is a keeper!

A Must For Any Feminist Scholar
This is one of those books which i purchased for a class yet intend to keep well after the class is over.It's full of articles on a broad range of topics by a diverse group of writers and I often find myself flippingthrough it and reading articles which haven't been assigned for class - asure sign that the book is a "keeper". ... Read more

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In the last 600 years there have been enormous changes in the way the Bible has been read and understood. In addition to specific controversies over interpretation the ground rules themselves have shifted radically several times. All of these modes of interpretation have left a corresponding mark in secular literature and the ways in which it has been perceived by society. This book aims to detail and to explore some of the links that have existed between biblical hermeneutics and literary history, and to focus on ways in which both literary criticism and practice have been influenced by contemporary biblical criticism and theology, and vice versa. ... Read more

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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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Insanely expensive
This is a really, really good collection of essays that introduce a wide variety of topics to novice readers, and I have used previous editions of the collection in a number of college courses. However, nothing about the book is good enough to justify the ridiculous price. Previous editions were nowhere near this expensive. There are many other books out there that are almost as good as this one for one quarter the price. Get one of those instead.

Great book, TERRIBLE delivery wait
The book was in excellent conditions, like new. However, the shipping wait was horrible. I made the order on January, 10 and got the book on February 5, 2008. There was no way of tracking the order, or checking on its status. Plus, the book seller redirects you to the "Help Desk" to check the order where the only information you get is that it has shipped. Moreover, there is a fine print in this "Help Desk" that says you might have to wait 30 days, which is not the timeframe presented when you purchase the book. ... Read more

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Can't beat it for a critical text on Barth
Not enough has been written about John Barth. This book pulls what has been said already together in an enlightening way. It helps if you know a little about literary theory. If not, you can just skip the first two chapters. The part about Lost in the Funhouse is especially enlightening. ... Read more

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Leitch argues for the use of poststructural theory in cultural criticism. He maintains that deconstruction remains crucial for truly critical approach to cultural studies.The turn toward "dis-course" and away from "literature" has led to a resurgence of cultural criticism, a mode of analysis revitalized and reformed by the arrival of "theory." Leitch illustrates the weak points of influential predecessors, showing how poststructuralism offers useful advances over reigning modes of critical inquiry.Leitch develops positions on key topics: social formations and cultural critique; authorship and intention; "poetic" discourse and the social text; literary genre and cultural convention; minority literatures and "general poetics"; textual theory and analysis; and Birmingham's Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies and poststructuralism. He draws on the work of Barthes, Deleuze, de Man, Derrida, Foucault, Jameson, Kristeva, Lentricchia, Lyotard, Said, and Scholes. ... Read more

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Ellis: Logic Must Rule
When John Ellis wrote THE THEORY OF LITERARY CRITICISM in 1974, he chose to avoid the practice used by most other theorists who favored one school of critical theory over another.Ellis daringly approached theory holistically in that his goal was not to ponder the intricacies of selected theories but rather he wished to apply rationality and logic to theory itself. His interest lay in setting out basic principles of responsible analysis that could be used by any theorist.As he set out what to him represented common sense tools of criticism, he described what competent theorists ought to do or should refrain from doing.In a later text, AGAINST DECONSTRUCTION, Ellis uses the ideas set out in this earlier book to denounce a wildly popular school called deconstructionism that violated more than a few of his enunciated precepts.For example, when any theorist claims that his proposed school of criticism is exempt from traditional rules demanding proof, then that school is probably ethically and linguistically bankrupt. Further, if that theorist makes an appeal to seeming vainglorious complexity of thought and structure while couched in scholarly jargonese, then that school is also suspect.He later adds that "The development of a theoretical analysis is severely inhibited if the purpose of the analysis is to justify a particular reform program (9). In 1974, deconstruction as a working theory had only just begun to work its way into academia, but its inherent flaws were well prophesized by Ellis, who has a number of pet peeves.He has little patience with those who set forth grandiose theories without first foregrounding them in unassailable logic.Ellis idolizes German philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, who when faced with a novel but untested proposition, would invariably respond with "what distinction is being made by this proposition?" (19)Only those theories that can logically show utility and purpose have value for Ellis.

Much of Ellis' book is devoted to the minutia of criticism, areas that few others care to address.He continually asks the reader for definitions of terms that seem to have no ready response, and once he does so, then he asks for a series of follow up questions, most of which involve evaluating the purpose and scope of those terms.Not surprisingly, the twin terms "literature" and "theory" figure prominently in such discussions. As one reads more of Ellis, one can sense the logical mind behind his sometimes not so gentle probing.His book is not without fault.Ellis often spends far too much time setting up his straw men puppets only to later smack them down, which considering the need for such ubiquitous sackings is not necessarily a bad thing.For modern students of theory who fail to see the linguistic forests for the deceptive trees, THE THEORY OF LITERARY CRITICISM is a much needed wake up call before deciding that the newest school of theory is truly the Holy Grail literary Theory of Everything.
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The 1991 landmark edition of Feminisms presented the most comprehensive collection of American and British feminist literary criticism ever published. In 1997, the volume was revised to include more than two dozen new essays. Now Robyn Warhol-Down and Diane Price Herndl revisit the canon of feminist literary criticism and theory once again and re-establish the measure for representing the latest developments in the field and offer an indispensable collection of essays representing the range of feminist literary criticism. ... Read more

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Steven Cassedy takes aim at two of the most enduring myths of modern criticism: that it is secular, and that it is new and autonomous. He argues that though modern criticism is often forbiddingly scientific and technical, the modern critic remains something of a mystic. Every school of modern criticismfrom structuralism to postmodern criticismrests on a faith in an "Eden," an irreducible essence, a myth, like the common myth that there is an intrinsic distinction between "poetic" language and "ordinary" language. The modern critic attempts to abandon all mystical faith; this is the "flight from Eden." But it is always in vain.It is traditionally assumed that modern literary criticism and theory came from France, and relatively recently. In fact, according to Cassedy, the entire modern critical consciousness was already formed by the early twentieth century in the minds of writers who were primarily neither professional critics nor philosophers, but poets.Some were French (Mallarm, and Valry); others were not (Rilke, Bely, and the Russian avant-garde poet Velimir Khlebnikov). In them we find the same Edenic faith, the same effort to abandon it, and the same failure of that effort. ... Read more

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Contributed articles, translated from various Indic languages. ... Read more

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Not a dictionary in the sense of providing short definitions of terms, this volume treats broad concepts, from allegory and allusion to tragedy and unity, central to the history or present pursuit of literary criticism and commentary. Particular attention has been given to distinguishing the different senses in which a term has been used, to noting major questions that have been debated in relation to the concept, and to documenting points of view and specific aspects with full references. Additional sources of information are appended in each case. ... Read more

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Heralds of the Postmodern inquires into thepossibility of a poetics of madness in Heart of Darkness,Mrs. Dalloway, and The Golden Notebook. By relating the literaryexpression of the irrational in these works to the philosophicalattempt to overcome the subject and rationality in the writings ofNietzsche, Foucault, and Derrida, the book presents modern fiction asan arena in which struggles between reason and madness, limitation andtransgression, "self" and "the other" are fully displayed. Itinvestigates how modern literature subverts traditional metaphysics byexploring the realm of the other reason and the new forms ofsubjectivity. ... Read more