Intertextuality

New Critical Idiom

by Graham Allen

Theories of intertextuality suggest that meaning in a text can only ever be understood in relation to other texts; no work stands alone but is interlinked with the tradition that came before it and the context in which it is produced. This idea of intertextuality is crucial to understanding literary studies today. Graham Allen deftly introduces the topic and relates its significance to key theories and movements in the study of literature. The second edition of this important guide to Looking at intertextuality in relation to structuralism, post-structuralism, deconstruction, postcolonialism, Marxism, feminism and psychoanalytic theory, this is a fascinating and useful guide for all students of literature and culture.

Genres: Nonfiction, Literary Criticism, Theory, Criticism, Philosophy, Academia, Academic

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Professor Graham Allen joined the School of English in University College Cork in 1995. Professor Allen has published extensively in the fields of literary and cultural theory and on subjects within Romantic literary studies. Professor Allen is Distinguished Visiting Fellow of the London Graduate School, a member of the Advisory Board of The Oxford Literary Review, a publishing poet and a regular book reviewer for The Sunday Business Post. The title poem of The One That Got Away won the 2010 Listowel Single Poem Prize and the collection has been shortlisted for The Crashaw Prize (2013), the Fool for Poetry Prize (2014) and the Strong/Shine First Collection Prize (2015).‍

Reviews

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow—until now I had been completely unaware that books explaining theory could be such a pleasure to read. Allen has really remarkable talent for synthesizing complex theoretical concepts and terms, and for deftly summarizing entire bodies of work (some of the main ones here include Saussure, Bakhtin, Kristeva, Barthes, Genette—all dauntingly complex theorists in and of themselves); in fact, I now feel like I have a firmer grasp on more basic topics like semiology, dialogism and différance than I ever have before.

Essentially, Allen presents how various literary movements have employed concepts associated with intertextuality, never arguing for or against any stated position, highlighting instead any strengths as a theoretical tool as well as any potential points of fallibility. It's tremendously enlightening.

The included glossary is sure to become a constant reference for me, but the entire text has already established itself as absolutely essential for my further academic pursuits.

[Skrivena stranica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff, will returt to this book again.

[حسن صنوبری · Rating 2 out of 5]

متاسفم برای جامعه نقد و نظریه‌ادبی باز کشورمان
که عاشق ترجمه‌شدن و ترجمه‌کردن‌های سریع و بی‌فکر و تخصص هستند
نه خودشان فکر می‌کنند. نه فکر آن‌سوی مرز را درست متوجه می‌شوند

اکثرا کتاب‌های این حوزه از نظر ترجمه اشکالات فنی و اساسی دارند
مترجم می‌خواسته عقب نماند و زودتر ترجمه کند. همین

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true tour de force, marked by lucid prose (amazing considering the subject matter), clarity of thought, and sensible organization. I am not a subject matter expert, so I am unqualified to evaluate the accuracy or effectiveness of the book in relation to alternative options. But, I cannot imagine a more effective survey of “Intertextuality” in literary theory (and elsewhere) of similar or shorter length. A pleasure to read, too.

[Tatiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deep.

[Abdul Rahman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is amazing how the book articulated the concept of intertextuality from its origins to the different approaches of it today. A must read for all who wants to understand intertextuality better, a term which is both widely used and misused today.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I have a bunch of books in this New Critical Idiom Series--all excellent), so I highly recommend the series.) This is one of the best book on critical theory I've read. It is so well written that it made me spend a lot of time with it, much more than I intended, so that I read each paragraph several times and really thought about the points made. Part of the appeal of this book is that Allen covers the topic of intertextuality from all angles, probably because he starts from the perspective that the term is so overused that it is on the verge of meaning anything anyone wants it to. So his mission becomes nothing less than a history of the term and its critical usage. He moves through analyses of the term’s genesis in Saussure, Bakhtin, Kristeva. Then on to its usage by Barthes, Gennete, and Riffaterre, followed by an analysis of what he terms “situated readers:” Bloom (whom Allen also authored a critical study of), feminism, and postcolonialism. He ends his analysis with a discussion of intertextuality in postmodermsim, and, appropriately, given the more recent internetification (the WWWing) of the world, with a discussion of hypertext authoring. Through all this analysis, Allen doesn’t just summarize, he presents arguments for and against each usage of the terms (and there are a lot of terms) and the points of view (lots of them too) that he introduces. Like a good philosopher he lets counter-examples drive the discussion forward. Allen’s writing style also bears closer study because although it is densely packed, it is never muddy. And that is a rare feat. Another feature of his style I liked is that he doesn’t use footnotes or endnotes, yet he is constantly quoting and referring to other critics, which just shows (to me anyway) what a good writer he is. He does use block quotes quite a bit as well so you get the chance to engage the other sources directly. The bibliography is superb and his references are to MLA style. All of which makes this an easy book to read and study and a great book to learn from, both on the topic of intertexuality, and how to write critically. Oh yes, there is a detailed glossary and index. A neat feature of the glossary is that Allen indicates which critic a particular term, or a particular usage of a term, is most associated with (itself a nice bit of intertextuality).

[ماهور m · Rating 5 out of 5]

سلام.این کتاب را برای انهایی توصیه می کنم که به رابطه اندیشه ها و نمودها در آثار کهن و معاصر معتقدند.نقد بینامتنی نقد جدید و جالبی است.این اثر مقدمات خوبی در این باب به ما می دهد.

[Alex Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly engaging book, for being a reference guide to the concepts of intertextuality. Would highly recommend to anyone interested in this form of theory for literary studies or film/media studies. The second and third chapters are interesting enough to read on their own; the others are only valuable as far as they are useful. I was surprised at myself for reading this pretty much cover to cover, so I had to add it here with a review, since evidently I liked it.

[Hermione Laake · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting book that gets you thinking about the theory of how all works of fiction overlap and intertwine. Allen continues to explore the ideas Roland Barthes explored in S/Z and in The Eiffel Tower and other Mythologies. Intertextuality was one of the works that inspired me to refer to texts in my own work of fiction for adults. An illuminating work.

[Serena]

Read for Literary Concepts for Literature units at Uni.

[Zhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

2013年左右专业课上印象非常深刻的一本书。学过的其他所有书基本都不记得了。

[briella · Rating 5 out of 5]

couldn't have done it without you x
01.10.2025 - 31.10.2025.
238 pages.

[Theryn Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Intertextuality, Graham Allen traces the history of the term intertextuality and explains how it is used in various theoretical contexts. The book is divided into five chapters: Origins: Saussure, Bakhtin, Kristeva; The text unbound: Barthes; Structuralist approaches: [Gerard:] Genette and [Michel/Michael:] Riffaterre; Situated readers: [Harold:] Bloom, feminism, postcolonialism; and Postmodern conclusions. In the final chapter he addresses intertextuality (& hypertextuality) in the context of the Internet. Clear explanation of the links between the theories of Bakhtin and Kristeva.

[Resa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are new to theory, this book will give you a good foundation. The definitions in the back were very helpful. The only warning: the first chapter was condensed and takes cocentration and time. The third and fourth chapter I found a little redundant.

Overall, if you are dreading reading this book, like myself, do not despair, it could be worse.

[Diana180]

The first part is rather tough going, not because of any obvious deficit in Allen's explanatory powers, but because the the thinkers are saying contradictory things and from today's vantage point seem to be reaching beyond their grasp. The book comes into its own roundabout Genette and you will sail through the parts on feminism, subalternity, and new media. Recommended.

[Caesy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brillian book

[Birch · Rating 2 out of 5]

same old stuff