. Contents Acknowledgementsix Preface to the first editionx Preface to the second editionxi Preface to the third editionxii 1The beginning1 2Readers and reading9 3The author18 4The text and the world27 5The uncanny34 6Monuments42 7Narrative52 8Character60 9Voice68 10Figures and tropes77 11Creative writing85 12Laughter93 13The tragic103 14History113 15Me124 16Ghosts133 17Moving pictures142 18Sexual difference152 19God161 20Ideology171 21Desire178
. viiiContents 22Queer187 23Suspense197 24Racial difference206 25The colony214 26Mutant223 27The performative233 28Secrets240 29The postmodern248 30Pleasure258 31War268 32The end280 Glossary288 Select bibliography of other introductory texts and reference works297 Literary works discussed299 Bibliography of critical and theoretical works304 Index328
. Acknowledgements W e are grateful to Michael Ayres for permission to reproduce his poem ‘Bittersweet’ published inPoems, 1987–1992by Odyssey Poets. In some instances we have been unable to trace the owners of copyright material and we would appreciate any information that would enable us to do so.
. Preface to the first edition T his is a new kind of book. It offers new ways of thinking about literature and about what is involved in reading critically. It is designed to be clear and accessible to those who are beginning to study literature, as well as to more advanced students. Although written with university students in mind, we dare to hope that it might also be of interest to other readers. Literary theory is an unavoidable part of studying literature and criticism. But theory – especially when it takes the form of ‘isms’ – can often be intimid- ating or else, frankly, boring. We have tried to avoid simply giving potted summaries ofisms. Instead we present brief essays on a range of key critical concepts all of which have more or less familiar names. We put these concepts into practice through readings of particular literary texts. Our primary focus, in other words, is on what is powerful, complex and strange about literary works themselves. Our aim is to explain, entertain, stimulate and challenge. The book is divided into twenty-four chapters and looks as if it has a certain order or progression. It begins with ‘The beginning’ and ends with ‘The end’. But it has been put together in such a way that it can also be read starting from any one chapter. ‘The end’, for example, is not a bad place to begin. Each chapter concludes with some suggestions for further reading. There is a glossary of critical and theoretical terms at the back of the book, plus a full bibliography of the texts discussed.
. Preface to the second edition T his new edition ofAn Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory has been thoroughly revised and, we hope, improved. We have revised all existing chapters, updated and expanded the further reading sections, the glossary and the bibliography, and also added four new chapters: ‘Monuments’, ‘Ghosts’, ‘Queer’ and ‘The colony’. These additional chapters reflect the importance of certain new or emerging areas of literary studies, such as queer theory, postcolonial theory, debates about ‘the canon’ and spec- trality. We also hope, however, that the new chapters may complement and reinforce what we believe was already distinctive about the first edition of this book, namely its preoccupation with literature and the literary as such.
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