Emma Giles (Pate's Grammar School) reviews Jonathan Culler's 'Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction'
Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction by Jonathan Culler is a fantastic beginner’s guide to the relevance of literature and the theories that surround the subject, managing to cram a wealth of information into a pocket-sized book of 146 pages. Culler writes clearly and competently whilst managing to incorporate light humour and deep insights throughout, making it an enjoyable read. The author admits that literary theory is extensive yet he manages to successfully introduce the reader to this field by helpfully organising the book thematically unlike by movements as you might expect. This is especially useful as it allows the reader to get a better idea of the applications of theory and is more representative of the matter itself as theory is complex and many of the top theorists’ ideas are not confined to just one school of thought. However, it did lead to me, as a reader, having a slightly muddled understanding of the particular contributions made by important theorists like Bakhtin and Butler.
The book is divided into 9 chapters, each addressing an important issue or area of the subject, for example, performative language, ethics and aesthetics and rather interestingly what literature is and whether it even matters. The appendix is the most useful section, in my opinion, helpfully defining each of the ‘schools’ in a brief description of their modern theoretical movements and manages to inform the reader of the smallest variations between them. In addition, important names and publications are included for further reading in case a particular concept catches your attention. To conclude, Culler’s book on literary theory is an accessible, demystifying introduction to the topic which will educate, edify and enrich anyone who picks it up.
Something I agreed with in this book was…
The way that Culler places importance on the reader suggesting that their experiences are vital to the development of literary theory.
Something I disagreed with in this book was...
It is quite difficult to place as there are very few opinions in it due to the book being an introduction and its purpose to explain. However, it has given me the perfect launch pad to read some more opinionated books on literary theory next.
Something I learnt from reading this book that I didn't know about this subject before was...
Quite a substantial amount! I feel like I’ve learnt a lot from this book from all the different theoretical schools and movements to just developing a more fundamental understanding of the importance of literature and why we should study it.