Literary Theory: A Complete Introduction

by Sara Upstone

Literary theory has now become integral to how we produce literary criticism. When critics write about a text, they no longer think just about the biographical or historical contexts of the work, but also about the different approaches that literary theory offers. By making use of these, they create new interpretations of the text that would not otherwise be possible. In your own reading and writing, literary theory fosters new avenues into the text. It allows you to make informed comments about the language and form of literature, but also about the core themes - concepts such as gender, sexuality, the self, race, and class - which a text might explore.

Literary theory gives you an almost limitless number of texts to work into your own response, ensuring that your interpretation is truly original. This is why, although literary theory can initially appear alienating and difficult, it is something to get really excited about. Imagine you are standing in the centre of a circular room, with a whole set of doors laid out around you. Each doorway opens on to a new and illuminating field of knowledge that can change how you think about what you have perhaps in just a small way, but also perhaps dramatically and irrevocably. You can open one door, or many of them. The choice is yours. Put the knowledge you gain together with your own interpretation, however, and you have a unique and potentially fascinating response.

Each chapter in Literary A Complete Introduction covers a key school of thought, progressing to a point at which you'll have a full understanding of the range of responses and approaches available for textual interpretation. As well as focusing on such core areas as Marxism, Modernism, Postmodernism, Structuralism and Poststructuralism, this introduction brings in recent developments such as Eco and Ethical Criticism and Humanisms.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Reference, Literary Criticism, Literature, Writing, Academic

400 pages, Paperback

Published August 22, 2017

Reviews

[Maja Todorovska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Date read: 01 Jun - 23 Aug 2021

Rating: 4/5

I don't have much to say about this book. It was a solid overview of different literary theories as far as I could tell. I liked that it went in somewhat chronological order and that it talked about how certain theories connect to each other (modernism, postmodernism, etc.) I also liked the little quizzes at the end of each chapter. It helped solidify what you read about after you were done.

I particularly enjoyed reading about reader response theory, modernism, postmodernism, poststructuralism and queer theory.

The book also provides further reading for each chapter, for those who want to look deeper into some of the topics explored.

I would recommend this to someone who was just getting into literary theory or someone who wants a quick refresher on certain parts of the field. I do have a weak spot for books which can serve as reference points once you've read them.

[Muaz Jalil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has 19 chapters. The first 14 chapters, up to Cultural Studies, are 5 star but the last 5 seemed rushed. Obviously its an introductory book and so covers these important topics summarily but nonetheless I loved it. Very easy to read!

[Natali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this one chapter each week since January. I wanted to study the book and read some of the texts that were suggested alongside it. It was an amazing experience where I learned the content deeply and understood it completely.

If this wasn't enough, it was amusing and, at times, even funny. I would find myself thinking about the theories as I watched tv or read. Then, I would try to briefly comment on these things based on my weekly reading.

I could not have chosen a better book to guide me through my first encounter with literary criticism.

[Millie Muroi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially I was inclined to dismiss this book as too simplistic a breakdown of literary theory (even for me). Hypothetical one-lined responses by Marx, Sartre, and Derrida to the classic joke, "why did the chicken cross the road", are certainly amusing but don't immediately project a sense of utility in the introduction.

Nevertheless, I did warm up a great deal to this guide. The writing style is unequivocal and accessible, entertaining and informative. A myriad of examples and references provide a substantial grounding for building understanding of literary theory, and the jesting 'fun facts' (whilst at times superfluous) are an inviting addition.

I love how reading literary theory books can not only open a world of interdisciplinary knowledge and perspectives, but also help us to label concepts we might have floating around our mind (and essays!) In particular for me:

- Intersectionality: a term for the study of rights of women alongside other identity factors such as race, class, disability, and religion.

- Anthropocentrism: the way in which human thinking is centred on the human subject and how this shapes our perspective on the world and our treatment of it.

-The death of nature
This was a particularly coincidental but remarkable find for me in the context of having one of my teachers question what I meant by the 'nature-culture dichotomy' in one of my essays. (In essence I argued that the nature-culture dichotomy could be seen paralleled in our tendency to view gender and colonised/coloniser relationships as binary, and that such views are perhaps central to the damaging implications of colonialism, patriarchy, and exploitation of land).

According to Upstone, the death of nature is associated with how, "early ecocritical responses tend to posit culture and nature as binary opposites..." Also, (according to Google) "an examination of the Scientific Revolution that shows how the mechanistic world view of modern science has sanctioned the exploitation of nature, unrestrained commercial expansion, and a new socioeconomic order that subordinates women". The way in which this binary can be challenged, Timothy Morton argues (Ecology without Nature) is through what he calls 'ambient poetics': a way in which the form of narrative may suggest a particular, open and expansive relationship to nature, and Ecomimesis: a focus on the environment rather than the person, shifting the reader's focus away from their anthropocentrism. "Questioning this humanist focus also means challenging the racist and sexist discourses that have treated some subjects as less than human" - how cool is that??

However, I do find myself in a bit of a paradox. Upstone rightly points out that, "One of the criticisms of reading the environment in these terms is that it makes the environment a metaphor for a wider political engagement, where the human again becomes what is at stake...we should allow the environment to stand for what it is, rather than always making it stand for human interests...the latter never really gets us away from the damaging hierarchies of old-fashioned humanism." So essentially, my reading of the representation of the culture-nature dichotomy as also serving a wider political statement on the subjugation of women and the colonised is in itself a reinforcement of our tendency to reduce nature to our anthropocentrism?

I'll have to give that last one a bit of thought!

(For those who were seeking a real review, sorry this turned out to be more of a multifarious blend of quasi-review and lit revision: a terrible attempt at justifying my predilection to read over studying)

Overall, Literary Theory: A Complete Introduction is, as the title suggests, a great way to introduce students to the world of literary thought, and is a fantastic supplementary text to more complex guides such as Lois Tyson's Critical Theory Today to consolidate existing understanding.

[Louise Omer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot even tell you how much I enjoyed this book! All the intimidating -isms are carefully explained so it's like a starter course. You don't have to be a super smart post grad student to get a handle on it!! As someone who often comes sideways to theory - through other texts referring to it - it was inordinately helpful to understand what concepts I use to approach reading.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is what it says on the tin. A good overview of various literary theories that have shaped academia and pop culture alike, and how they remain relevant to the modern reader.

[Donald Schopflocher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A complete introduction indeed but perhaps too introductory to do much more than create name droppers.

[Jon Margetts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upstone's Complete Introduction to literary theory is absolutely jam-packed full of knowledge and information about the tricky and complex world of literary theory. From Aestheticism and Formalism all the way to Cultural Materialism and Ecocriticism, Upstone provides an informative and engaging primer on a wide range of schools of thought. Whereas other introductions into literary theory take a thematic approach (i.e. Cullen's Very Short Introduction, and the work of Eagleton and Wood), focusing upon broad ideas such as narrative, the role of the author, Upstone instead chooses to examine each broad school of thought in a semi-linear fashion. Although this approach is derided, there are clear strengths in it: you can more easily monitor the sort-of-steady development of thought throughout time, culminating in where are now, a place 'beyond theory', potentially.

Chapters are easily and clearly navigable. Case Studies in each chapter model effectively the application of particular theories and ideas to actual texts; Dig Deeper sections provide suitable pointers to further reading. Some of the 'Spotlight' sections were humorous (i.e. learning about Derrida's close relationship with his cat, Logos) or added a nice touch of intimacy with what is more frequently than not an abstract subject (i.e. Upstone's daughter pretending to be a table in a play as a demonstration of how the humanist tradition hadn't yet pressed its influence); very few were completely irrelevant.

Is this book the definitive guide to Literary Criticism? Probably not. I'm sure many academics would want it to go into more depth, but then doing that would be beyond the book's Teach Yourself remit. It's a fantastic place to start, not least of all because of Upstone's ability to clearly and engagingly explain key concepts such as the subjectivity of time and its role in modernist stream of consciousness novels, or the basic tenets of Marxist theory. For me, I found most interesting ideas about New Materialism, post-humanism, and Ecocriticism; they will all, I'm sure, provide inspiration for further research and reading. The book will, no doubt, be returned to as well when needing a way to explain key concepts to A-Level students.

[Steph De Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to, or refresher on, the major schools of literary theory since the nineteenth century. The guide is well-structured, with key ideas and thinkers clearly marked out and explained, and with a case study in each chapter that demonstrates the way in which various forms of critical analysis may be brought to bear on literary texts. The short quiz at the end of each chapter is another nice touch, although I think the quality of these could be improved on, as there's currently too much focus on extraneous details such as the publication dates of particular texts, rather than on testing understanding of the theory in question. I'd recommend this guide to anyone seeking an accessible introduction to literary theory, or looking to brush up on previous study of the subject.

[Robin Ion · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an accessible summary of key frameworks / tools/ models used to inform literary criticism. I had some previous knowledge , but found this book helpful. The case study examples are particularly useful. I will likely return to it from time to time . There are good suggestions for additional reading and, while I struggled with some of the models, Upstone clearly intends to share her knowledge and communicate. I completed it feeling enthusiastic for a wider range of books including some I might otherwise have avoided.

[Jozef Appleyard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad introduction

Good for students if literature from high school and beyond. Good to dip into to pic up the rudiments of the 'isms'. Would have given four stars, but like all the Teach Yourself range these days, it is riddled with self contradicting errors when it comes to the review tests at the end of the chapters. These books need more thorough editing.

[｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction that allows the reader to get a broad overview of literary theory. I appreciated that the author listed notable writing for each movement in literary criticism, as well as additional reading, which facilitates a transition into more specific/advanced research.

[Dr. Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a godsend for my literary theory class. It definitely explained difficult concepts in a way that was easy to understand.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned more from this book in a week than I did in my honours degree for a year

[Lisandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,7 estrelas

[Paulo F. Lopes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma descrição sumária da evolução da teoria literária no último século. Bem apresentada, sucinta e acessível, com imensos exemplos a ilustrar o conteúdo. Permite fazer uma ideia geral do que é a teoria da literatura, quais as suas principais escolas, preocupações e discussões. Muito agradável e interessante.