Ilse’s Reviews > Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction > Status Update
Ilse
is on page 28 of 144
'Literature' is an instutional label that gives us reason to expect that the results of our reading efforts will be 'worth it'. And many of the features of literature follow from the willingness of readers to pay attention, to explore uncertainties, and not immediately ask 'what do you mean by that?'
— Nov 15, 2025 05:19AM
79 likes · Like flag
Ilse’s Previous Updates
Ilse
is on page 40 of 144
Literature encourages resistance to capitalist values, to the practicalities of getting and spending. Literature is the noise of culture as well as its information. It is an entropic force as well cultural capital. It is a writing that calls for a reading and engages readers in problems of meaning.
— Nov 22, 2025 05:52AM
Ilse
is on page 17 of 144
Theory is driven by the impossible desire to step outside your own thought, both to place it and to understand it, and also by a desire for change - this is a possible desire- both in the world your thought engages and in the ways of your own thought, which always could be sharper, more knowledgeable and capacious, more self-reflecting.
— Nov 04, 2025 12:20PM
Ilse
is on page 15 of 144
Theory is a source for constant upstagings: 'What! You haven't read Lacan! How can you talk about the lyric without addressing the specular constitution of the speaking subject? Or 'How can you write about the Victorian novel without using Foucault's account of the deployment of sexuality and the hysterization of women's bodies?'
— Oct 29, 2025 11:10AM
Comments Showing 1-14 of 14 (14 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Jennifer
(new)
Nov 15, 2025 05:36AM
Love the highlight on relationship here, Ilse. It might be interesting for you to read Wired for Story, by Lisa Cron after this to compare lenses. And maybe I’ll read this one in the coming year…
reply
|
flag
Who really decides which books deserve to be studied in schools? Who says what counts as literature and what doesn’t? I often wonder what truly makes a text literary?Thanks, Ilse.
I love the quote. The jury's is out on The Very Short introductions for me. Quite a lot of them felt poor, but there are occasional goodies. I will wait for your review on this one.
true, I think this is also easy to lose sight of where (no matter where you turn) there is so much emphasis on meaning.
Jennifer wrote: "Love the highlight on relationship here, Ilse. It might be interesting for you to read Wired for Story, by Lisa Cron after this to compare lenses. And maybe I’ll read this one in the coming year…"Jennifer, you have intrigued me on Lisa Cron's book (I read a couple quite mixed reviews on it), so you would recommend it? My partner remarked that I would have so enjoyed to study literature, and I think he is right...
Looking forward to reading your future observations on the essay, Ilse!
Maria wrote: "Who really decides which books deserve to be studied in schools? Who says what counts as literature and what doesn’t? I often wonder what truly makes a text literary?Thanks, Ilse."
Maria, how does that decision process go in Portugal? I was a little shocked that my children came home with a pile of five books that a publisher had selected, while their teacher admitted not to have read but put on the list anyway, not wanting to waste time on thinking for himself. The author points at certain features that might help to define what is literature, but admits its a puzzle that cannot entirely be solved :).
I don't think literary theory and school library reading lists are that connected. Certainly a literature course of study will require some kind of rigour behind it. But grappling with language would be a first consideration. Not just stories that highlight issues in vogue. But, those crazy religious zealots in the US banning school books probably haven't read much literary theory. But I should wait for your review Ilse I've jumped ahead...
Paul wrote: "I love the quote. The jury's is out on The Very Short introductions for me. Quite a lot of them felt poor, but there are occasional goodies. I will wait for your review on this one."The VSI cover such a wide scope of topics, Paul - this is only my third so far (first was about Japan, second was Montaigne: A Very Short Introduction and I love it - so much information is packed in a short (and handbag-friendly :) format. I might be an overenthusiast on the series so far, overjoyed to learn a lot. When looking at the number of ratings in the series, this volume seems one of the most read on GR, perhaps rather natural with this topic. Which ones resonated well with you?
Anisha Inkspill wrote: "true, I think this is also easy to lose sight of where (no matter where you turn) there is so much emphasis on meaning."The urge to understand what we see or read, the search for meaning, the seeking pleasure being suspicious - where does that come from?Can it be relicts of the religious education many of us have gone through and/or are still experiencing, Anisha?
Irena wrote: "I loved this book."Irena, that both you and Katia gave this five stars speaks volumes to me. I am about one third in and now already I will re-read it because highlighting half the sentences :D
P.E. wrote: "Looking forward to reading your future observations on the essay, Ilse!"Thank you, P-E! I'll need to read it a second time first, so with a little optimism, likely next year ;)!
Nick wrote: "I don't think literary theory and school library reading lists are that connected. Certainly a literature course of study will require some kind of rigour behind it. But grappling with language wou..."Nick, your fast mind travels far quicker than the slow pace in which I am reading this slender tome on my weekly train journey to work... The author points at literary canons and school reading, in his search to define 'what is literature' in relation to cultural studies, which in his opinion not took students away from the classics, but opened the doors to more different ways of reading them. On the banning of school books in the US, I have the impression those zealots do not read at all - and while fearing what is happening there might inspire some people to do the same here, I am foolishly optimistic the banning books makes people even more eager to read them because books turn into forbidden fruit that way, just like the Index Librorum Prohibitorum (albeit the more rational me sees the prohibitive hurdles to get a copy when they disappear from public libraries 🙁.-
