Protocols of Reading

by Robert Scholes

Discusses the processes of reading, interpretation, and criticism from a semiotic perspective

Genres: Nonfiction, Theory

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Robert E. Scholes was an American literary critic and theorist. He is known for his ideas on fabulation and metafiction.

Reviews

[Aaron Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scholes can sometimes get distracted by someone he disagrees with (see his attacks on Fish in Textual Power that lead to some embarrassing wordplay and tedious ranting); in Protocols of Reading, despite the title coming from a Derrida quote, J. Hillis Miller is the recurring target. Scholes manages to stay on point for the most part, however, and performs some brilliant readings along the way, the topics of which include a Budweiser commercial, a Judy Garland performance, and some of Hiller’s writing on reading. This is the 5th book of Scholes that I have read; there is always something to learn from him, even if he sometimes forgets to tell the reader what that something is (what they should be focusing on or what the upshot is). I appreciate his accessibility, rigor, and passion—all of which feel more balanced than not in this volume.

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wuih... smart explanations and argumentations!