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A History of Literary Criticism: From Plato to the Present
This comprehensive guide to the history of literary criticism from antiquity to the present day provides an authoritative overview of the major movements, figures, and texts of literary criticism, as well as surveying their cultural, historical, and philosophical contexts.
Supplies the cultural, historical and philosophical background to the literary criticism of each era
Enables students to see the development of literary criticism in context
Organised chronologically, from classical literary criticism through to deconstruction
Considers a wide range of thinkers and events from the French Revolution to Freud’s views on civilization
Can be used alongside any anthology of literary criticism or as a coherent stand-alone introduction
Supplies the cultural, historical and philosophical background to the literary criticism of each era
Enables students to see the development of literary criticism in context
Organised chronologically, from classical literary criticism through to deconstruction
Considers a wide range of thinkers and events from the French Revolution to Freud’s views on civilization
Can be used alongside any anthology of literary criticism or as a coherent stand-alone introduction
848 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 14, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 11 reviews
June 3, 2013
A succinct guide to the major critical concepts in literature right from Plato to contemporary times - absolutely wonderful, but needs the reader to be at least somewhat acquainted with the major literary/critical traditions of Western philosophy and literature. Also very useful as a comprehensive account of different threads in a given literary/critical movement, enabling a comparative analysis of the whole movement in a nutshell.
Comprehensive, well-written, concise and heavily condensed - hence a rich, short but extremely dense account - but only for those attempting higher studies - absolutely not for undergrads lacking awareness in the basic concepts of western philosophy and literary/critical traditions.
Comprehensive, well-written, concise and heavily condensed - hence a rich, short but extremely dense account - but only for those attempting higher studies - absolutely not for undergrads lacking awareness in the basic concepts of western philosophy and literary/critical traditions.
June 9, 2016
Firstly Habib has done a tremendous job with a huge and daunting task. This is nothing less than a history of literary criticism and critical theory from Plato in the C4th BCE to Foucault and the postmodernists. In the introduction s/he sets out the way this differs from other anthologies/histories of critical movements but I'm sad to say the book doesn't quite live up to its aspirations.
The first sections on Plato and Aristotle are superb, not just putting them into their historical/cultural/political contexts but also writing an excellent and enlightening commentary on their key texts; and if this format had been followed throughout, this would probably have been a 5* book. As it is, the later sections become far more bitty and summarising. Perhaps this is inevitable given the huge number of theories and ways of reading that now jostle for our attention, but I was hoping that this would be a little deeper than the few page summaries of Lacan, Saussure, Foucault etc that we get.
Also the early chapters were marvels of lucid prose, but again the later sections become more and more inpenetrable (as the originals are...) which is a shame. Perhaps there is no easy way to do justice to Cixous and Irigaray (for example) other than in convolutions but I was hoping that Habib would manage it.
Altogether this is an excellent attempt but I for one am still waiting for that elusive companion which will make all clear. It is well-deserving of its accolades and prizes but I fear in the final estimation doesn't clarify the modern/post-modern any more than the books already out there.
Despite the publishers' blurb this is not a general interest read: and extremely difficult to read cover to cover. The only other criticism is that the bibliographies are extremely short and very out of date.
The first sections on Plato and Aristotle are superb, not just putting them into their historical/cultural/political contexts but also writing an excellent and enlightening commentary on their key texts; and if this format had been followed throughout, this would probably have been a 5* book. As it is, the later sections become far more bitty and summarising. Perhaps this is inevitable given the huge number of theories and ways of reading that now jostle for our attention, but I was hoping that this would be a little deeper than the few page summaries of Lacan, Saussure, Foucault etc that we get.
Also the early chapters were marvels of lucid prose, but again the later sections become more and more inpenetrable (as the originals are...) which is a shame. Perhaps there is no easy way to do justice to Cixous and Irigaray (for example) other than in convolutions but I was hoping that Habib would manage it.
Altogether this is an excellent attempt but I for one am still waiting for that elusive companion which will make all clear. It is well-deserving of its accolades and prizes but I fear in the final estimation doesn't clarify the modern/post-modern any more than the books already out there.
Despite the publishers' blurb this is not a general interest read: and extremely difficult to read cover to cover. The only other criticism is that the bibliographies are extremely short and very out of date.
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August 10, 2024An overall historical survey, not bad to have around for generic references and acquiring an idea of what various theories & philosophies are about.
August 19, 2016
One of the most lucid introduction to the topic that does not compromise with the intellectual complexity of the field.
May 17, 2019
Very happy and i will gain knowledge
May 12, 2020
I'm so done with this book. I know I am actually not, but I am.
May 20, 2020
I love this book. This serves as my guide to my course in Literature.
June 14, 2016
No...just NO!
Want to read
August 14, 2016very soon when i will finish reading, post the review
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2013
Its a concise yet in-depth overview of the entire western literary criticism and theory
Displaying 1 - 10 of 11 reviews