Interpretation as Pragmatics

by Jean-Jacques Lecercle

Why is it that all interpretations are possible, and none is true? That some interpretations are just, but some are false? Lecercle draws on the resources of pragmatics, literary theory and the philosophy of language to propose a new theory of literary, but also of face-to-face, dialogue that charts the interaction between the five participants in the fields of dialogue and/or interpretation: author, reader, text, language and encyclopaedia. Interpretation is taken through its four stages, from glossing and enigma solving to translation and intervention.

258 pages, Hardcover

First published May 19, 1999

About the author

Jean-Jacques Lecercle is Professor of English at the University of Paris at Nanterre. He has published widely in the fields of philosophy of language and literary theory, and is the author of The Violence of Language, Philosophy of Nonsense, Interpretations of Pragmatics and Deleuze and Language.

Reviews

[Stephen]

It is a very interesting book indeed!

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enh. Some parts very informative. Other (especially later chapters) tedious and .. not really repetitive but just not that informative or interesting.