New Feminist Criticism

by Elaine Showalter

Essays discuss American literature, feminist poetics, Black and Lesbian feminist criticism, and women's writing

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Literary Criticism, Gender Studies, Academic, Theory

403 pages, Hardcover

First published May 12, 1985

About the author

Elaine Showalter is an American literary critic, feminist, and writer on cultural and social issues. She is one of the founders of feminist literary criticism in United States academia, developing the concept and practice of gynocritics.

She is well known and respected in both academic and popular cultural fields. She has written and edited numerous books and articles focussed on a variety of subjects, from feminist literary criticism to fashion, sometimes sparking widespread controversy, especially with her work on illnesses. Showalter has been a television critic for People magazine and a commentator on BBC radio and television.

(source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[coco · Rating 4 out of 5]

like any collection of essays, there are some that are excellent, and some that don’t place as high. but conceptually, elaine showalter’s goal in their collection- to honor and examine the study of feminist criticism in literature, and to dismantle its historical devaluation- is noble and well done. the act of compilation, itself, is breathtaking here: there is well placed juxtaposition, supported claims by other essays, foundations set and paid off by future work, etc. its rhetorical goals are clear and established, and it- as a collection- accomplishes them well. i don’t recommend this, however, as a jumping off point to understanding feminist literary theory; begin with adrienne rich and maybe some gerda lerner, plus of course an established knowledge of female literary giants and their works.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

From my studying days I knew Elaine Showalter from her insightful analysis of R.L. Stevenson, "Dr. Jekyll's Closet" (1999). When I ordered "The New Feminist Criticism" I was not aware of the detail that this scientific anthology was published way back in 1985. But I got the book cheap enough not to care.
This interesting selection of texts builds on the ... let's say "second wave" of feminist literary criticism and theory. I read it as an interested novice who rode back in time.
The first third of the book is about the goals of the new movement and the foundation of a female literary canon. Some detailed analyses (Annette Kolodny shines especially) made me want to read early classics of feminist novelists (and more recent poets) I never heard of before.
The second part is about (different) women's cultures. Here I really liked Barbara Smith's approach who basically accuses some of her colleages of the same marginalisation (or even ignorance) regarding black and lesbian female writers, which they used to condemn the patriarchal structures of literary criticism and theory. It really speaks for the collection that Showalter allowed Smith to get rid of the kid gloves (Showalter herself receives some fierce punches).
The third part was of a more heterogenic nature, with a slight emphasis on the recent French feminist movement (which basically did very little for me, because I don't even know about most of the primary rexts). But even here I found some interesting questions and topics.

I will probably never grow into a man primarily interested in feminist criteria while writing about movies, but after reading this book I really saw some movies with different eyes (especially Terry Gilliam's "The Man who killed Don Quixote").

Thoroughly recommended if you're into academia and the basics of feminism.

[Ana TM · Rating 3 out of 5]

As in any compilation, there were some essays I liked more than other, but in general it was a good initiation for me into feminist criticism.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stopped on p. 154, because I got bored.

[Josita · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Cómo se nos ha inducido a imaginarnos a nosotras mismas, cómo el lenguaje nos ha atrapado, al mismo tiempo q nos ha liberado”

[Aatika · Rating 1 out of 5]

The main problem with me is that i didn't find this book,therefore,i couldn't be able to read it. I urgently need this book because i am doing my thesis and in that context i need this book. I tried to find out this book on internet but only its title is available, not the entire book.

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not so new, now, eh?