Against the Grain: Essays 1975-1985

by Terry Eagleton

These essays (and a ballad) have their origins in Terry Eagleton’s continuing engagement with the possibilities of a literary criticism that is both materialist and open to diverse currents of thought in the human sciences.

Eagleton’s combative intelligence here explores the encounter between Marxism and contemporary European and American literary theory. Included are a survey of the Althusserian contribution to literary analysis; thoughts on the fraught relations between Marxism and poststructuralism; and a brilliant evocation of the affinities and tensions between Wittgenstein, Derrida and Bakhtin.

Intellectual figures in this wide-ranging topography include Jacques Derrida; the radical critic Fredric Jameson; the apostle of deconstruction, Paul de Man; the liberal humanist John Bayley; Bertoit Brecht; William Empson and Pierre Machersy. The volume also includes Eagleton’s brilliant reading of Conrad’s The Secret Agent .

Against the Grain  is an excellent introduction to the range of Terry Eagleton’s thought and his considerable body of work. It is also a useful primer for all readers interested in the vitality of literary theory today.

200 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1986

About the author

Widely regarded as England's most influential living literary critic & theorist, Dr. Terry Eagleton currently serves as Distinguished Professor of English Literature at the University of Lancaster and as Visiting Professor at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He was Thomas Warton Prof. of English Literature at the University of Oxford ('92-01) & John Edward Taylor Professor of English Literature at the University of Manchester 'til '08. He returned to the University of Notre Dame in the Autumn '09 semester as Distinguished Visitor in the English Department.

He's written over 40 books, including Literary Theory: An Introduction ('83); The Ideology of the Aesthetic ('90) & The Illusions of Postmodernism ('96).
He delivered Yale's '08 Terry Lectures and gave a Gifford Lecture in 3/10, titled The God Debate.

Reviews

[Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

starts faster than it closes

[Andrew Noselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too political !

[Jacob biscuits · Rating 3 out of 5]

I normally rate eagleton but this was… challenging, in general. Sometimes I was like Wowww he’s making such sense, and felt my brain grow. But often I was like what…

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I were smart enough to give this book five stars. It just went waaaay over my head.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

His essay on the readers' revolution is one of the funniest bits of satirical prose I have read in a while. If you think that liteary theory has to be dry and humorless, give this one a try.

[sologdin · Rating 2 out of 5]

decent collection. best essay is the argument that Wittgenstein came up with all of his best ideas after becoming friends with Bakhtin's brother.