Difference

by Mark Currie

Difference is one of the most influential critical concepts of recent decades. Mark Currie offers a comprehensive account of the history of the term and its place in some of the most influential schools of theory of the past four decades, including post-structuralism, deconstruction, new historicism, psychoanalysis, French feminism and postcolonialism. Employing literary case studies throughout, Difference provides an accessible introduction to a term at the heart of today's critical idiom.

Genres: Philosophy

160 pages, Paperback

First published February 19, 2004

Reviews

[Virginia]

This is a handy book of secondary if you're interested in the structuralist, poststructuralist, and broadly feminist ideas of difference (and differance!). It's clear and concise, even when discussing writers like Derrida. However, I did find that it lost some of its clarity in the last chapter, which discusses very contemporary figures such as Badiou, Zizek, and Butler.

Overall worthwhile, and recommended to those who are interested in structuralism and poststructuralism.

[Woojung Kim]

very insightful analysis overall