Literary Criticism in the 21st Century: Theory Renaissance

by Vincent B. Leitch

For more than a decade literary criticism has been thought to be in a post-theory age. Despite this, the work of thinkers such as Derrida, Deleuze and Foucault and new writers such as Agamben and Ranciere continue to be central to literary studies. Literary Criticism in the 21st Century explores the explosion of new theoretical approaches that has seen a renaissance in theory and its importance in the institutional settings of the humanities today.

Literary Criticism in the 21st Century covers such issues

• The institutional history of theory in the academy
• The case against theory, from the 1970s to today
• Critical reading, theory and the wider world
• Keystone works in contemporary theory
• New directions and theory's many futures

Written with an engagingly personal and accessible approach that brings theory vividly to life, this is a passionate defence of theory and its continuing relevance in the 21st century.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Anne Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is comprised of a collection of essays rather than a single, sustained argument. Two of the chapters consist of interviews with Leitch, for example, while other chapters review a Derrida biography, a set of anti theory books, and some of Leitch's favorite 21st-century theory titles. Throughout, the writing is very clear, accessible, and wide-ranging in its scope. I found the first, autobiographical chapter and the places where Leitch reflects on the history of the Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism (which he edits) and the rationale for the changes made to the 2nd edition of the anthology especially interesting.