Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction

This is an excellent introduction to Literary Theory by a person who is well positioned to provide it. Jonathan Culler has achieved prominence for his ability to explain complex materials in a fair and balanced way. Here the subject is one of his ‘usuals’—literary theory. Note that this is capital-T Theory, not the literary theory which begins in antiquity, continues through the middle ages, renaissance and enlightenment until being somewhat displaced by the Romantics under the particular influence of Kant’s Critique of Judgment. This is the theory associated with the French Nietzscheans and their structuralist predecessors (again, preceded by the linguistic concerns of Saussure).Culler is clearly fascinated by it and supportive of it, but he realizes its hegemonic tendencies, which is particularly interesting for an intellectual movement which is centered around the effacing of cultural hegemony. He notes, e.g., that Theory consciously reduces our study of literature (we still read Shakespeare, but Beaumont and Fletcher, Ben Jonson, Thomas Kyd, et al. not so much). He recognizes and acknowledges the politicization that is never far from the surface in the work of Theory’s practitioners. He does not go so far as to say (with Theory’s critics) that Theory’s attack on the enlightenment and its norms is a way of salvaging socialism; since socialism’s fortunes in the real world are stained with blood, the truth claims of the enlightenment empiricism which records those processes are systematically undercut. He does not point out the antinomianism which frequently characterizes Theory; E.D. Hirsch, e.g., has described it as ‘cognitive atheism’.Most important, he is far more optimistic about Theory’s future than current practice would suggest. Louis Menand, e.g., has charted the tendencies in postwar literary study and has seen us now move past Theory’s better days. At the micro level the student interest in Theory has waned immensely, though its political dimensions continue to influence their practices. At my institution the number of prospective graduate students expressing an interest in specializing in Theory has dwindled to a small trickle. The contrast between current realities and the days in which Theory’s advocates argued for a complete displacement of traditional literary study has passed.Bottom line: Culler’s introduction is now, primarily, a historical document, but it is a very good one, one that not only identifies the players and their ‘schools’ (acknowledging that the outlines of such entities are often vague). He even includes some clever and instructive cartoons (without noting, in passing, that Theory’s practices are often conducive to such representations). The writing is very lucid, in contrast to the often opaque and convoluted writing of the Theorists themselves.In sum, this is an excellent short introduction to the subject, one of the best in this series.

The fact that literary theory is often referred to as just 'theory' should alert the newcomer to its amorphous and unfocused nature. It is no longer concerned just with literature, but with every aspect of culture and experience. It is a theory of theories, a post-modernist stocktaking of the western intellectual tradition.Culler traces several paths through this boundless philosophical landscape. Seven such paths actually, exploring aspects of language, identity and meaning. These constitute as gentle an introduction as is possible. In fact, it is difficult to imagine a better guide than Culler, with his clear and elegant style and his breadth of knowledge. Although this is not a conventional school-by-school primer, there is a section at the end briefly summarizing the major schools, from Russian Formalism to Queer Theory (yes, you heard right). The author advises that you can read these summaries before, after, or during the main text. I recommend leaving them until after, when they will be a lot more meaningful. Otherwise, they might frighten you off from reading the text itself.The illustrations consist of a half-dozen or so vaguely relevant cartoons. I suppose, as this series is illustrated, OUP felt obliged to include something, even if the text had no need of it. More positively, this book is blessedly free of the typos that normally bedevil the series.If you wish to 'dip your toe in the water' of literary theory (and be warned, it is a maelstrom) Culler's book is the perfect place to do it.

Honest book that identifies different schools of thought without any apparent bias. Author is not "selling" anything, just describing things as well as possible. Very nice glossary, too. Note: This Oxford series is inconsistent - some of the authors take their roles seriously, even if for "very short introductions," while others must have submitted their mss. after writing up some notes after an afternoon at the beach, or perhaps in the local pub. This may reflect the inconsistent editing or even lack of real focus of the series as much as anything. But this book is a model of the right way to do it. You will need to read deeper books, of course, to get a real handle on what's going on with literary theory.

This little book might be a godsend for English lit majors (Ok, I'm exagerrating a little). Having taken quite a number of literature classes myself in university (but no theory) I was little confused as to what the heck was the point of interpreting literature. Now, it does provide a mental exercise (long nights thinking about Borges' short stories) but I needed a goal. It wasn't until I picked up this book and read it that I realized that literary/critical theory has a point and a very interesting one at that. Culler writes in language you can understand (something those deconstructionists have a hard time doing) and uses good examples to illustrate his point. He provides much food for thought and the book is oozing with ideas to clog your brain with. However, for those looking for an overview of different literary schools of thought, there is not much here, only an appendix at the end that briefly describes some of the modern schools. That being said, if your a confused English major (like some people I know) that is wondering why interpret literature at all, I think this book can help you find the way.