Average customer rating:
- Something To Be Said for Clarity
- So-So
- One of the worst books in my library
- easy to comprehend
- Great for beginners
|
Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
Jonathan Culler
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
| Humor
| Movies
| Music
| Performing Arts
| Pop Culture
| Puzzles & Games
| Radio
| Sheet Music & Scores
| Television
Reference
| Books & Reading
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
General
| Criticism & Theory
| History & Criticism
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Semiotics
| Criticism & Theory
| History & Criticism
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Writing
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Reference Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Reference
| Books & Reading
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Criticism & Theory
| History & Criticism
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Writing
| Reference
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Arts & Photography
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Entertainment
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Literature & Fiction
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Reference
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Postmodernism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
-
The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory (Penguin Dictionary)
-
Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory
-
Literary Theory: An Introduction Second Edition
-
The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism
ASIN: 019285383X |
Book Description
What is Literary Theory? Is there a relationship between literature and culture? In fact, what is Literature, and does it matter? These are the sorts of questions addressed by Jonathan Culler in a book which steers a clear path through a subject which is often perceived to be impenetrable. It offers insights into theories about the nature of language and meaning, whether literature is a form of self-expression or a method of appeal to an audience, and outlines the ideas behind a number of different schools: deconstruction, semiotics, postcolonial theory, and structuralism amongst them.
Customer Reviews:
Something To Be Said for Clarity.......2007-09-12
This is a classic of clarity and simplicity, a model of its kind, to be compared with the famous Shrunk text on writing. One of the features of theory is the unreadable quality of the prose produced by most of its practitioners. The jargon has made literary no longer attractive. We once read for pleasure and are now turned off by the misc. schools of jargon that obscure as much as they clarify. Those who have written with clarity are written off - Edmund Wilson - and replaced by obscure, minor academics. In this strange atmosphere, and possible as a response to it, Culler has done for theory what Lenin did for Marx. He has made clear what was once difficult if not impossible to understand. We commend his prose style as well as his command of seemingly impenetrable texts.
So-So.......2007-06-07
I finished Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction by Jonathan Culler last evening and admittedly was not quite a fan of it. Parts of it I found to be horribly dense and while it's not A Very Easy Introduction much of the book didn't really seem to fit under the topic. Granted, some of you who are more experts in Literary Theory may disagree. However, I did enjoy a good portion of the book that went into the history of the novel, what exactly literary theory is, looked into the canon and how "reading" styles have changed over time, and so forth. Perhaps most splendidly it offers a short and concise list of all the big literary theories (i.e. feminism, Marxist, psychoanalysis, deconstruction, etc).
One of the worst books in my library.......2007-06-05
It's hard to imagine a more painful reading experience. This is a good example of how not to craft expository writing.
easy to comprehend.......2007-05-15
Although I graduated from English Literature for about fifteen years ago. I have always been in trouble with literary theories and schools.And I have always been scared to death by the idea of any literary theory. This book has broken the very thick ice which existed between me and the subject. Now I am eager to read more on the subject. Thank you very much Professor Culler.
Great for beginners.......2006-08-29
For those of you out there, who are, for some reason, venturing in the very large field of literary theory, with it's vast majority of works that are not understandable to the average people, I wish you good luck.
You will need it, but as it is true vith everything that you care for, if you have the will you will eventualy succeed and fight your way trough the forest and emerge as a winner.
On that travel you should have your vorthy sidekick who will follow you into the most dangerous situations, to the places with no exits and where dark thing brood in every corner waiting to jump upon tired traveller. On the adventurous field of literary theory, Jonathan Cullers book is that kind of sidekick.
If you are completely lost and you have no idea where to start your investigation of numerous schools of thought and many problems that have arisen trought the time, this very short introduction will cover basics, and when you finish reading if you want to go on, there is very good litterature stated on the last pages which you can consult of your own will.
Here you can find short, and trust me, you can't get any shorter, and yet plausible overview of schools which you can use for your future work.
All in all, for a starter this is very good place to start, and for an experienced adventurer this is the place to remind you why you ventured on your quest at all.
Book Description
Foucault is one of those rare philosophers who has become a cult figure. Born in 1926 in France, over the course of his life he dabbled in drugs, politics, and the Paris SM scene, all whilst striving to understand the deep concepts of identity, knowledge, and power. From aesthetics to the penal system; from madness and civilisation to avant-garde literature, Foucault was happy to reject old models of thinking and replace them with versions that are still widely debated today. A major influence on Queer Theory and gender studies (he was openly gay and died of an AIDS-related illness in 1984), he also wrote on architecture, history, law, medicine, literature, politics and of course philosophy, and even managed a best-seller in France on a book dedicated to the history of systems of thought. Because of the complexity of his arguments, people trying to come to terms with his work have desperately sought introductory material that makes his theories clear and accessible for the beginner. Ideally suited for the Very Short Introductions series, Gary Gutting presents a comprehensive but non-systematic treatment of some highlights of Foucault's life and thought. Beginning with a brief biography to set the social and political stage, he then tackles Foucault's thoughts on literature, in particular the avant-garde scene; his philosophical and historical work; his treatment of knowledge and power in modern society; and his thoughts on sexuality.
Customer Reviews:
Difficult.......2007-07-24
After reading several interestingly easy to understand Very Short Introductions on various subjects, I bought this book with the hope reading a similarly lucid introduction to one of the great thinkers of our times. I found that this introduction to Foucault was often abstruse and difficult to understand. Foucault is ostensibly an often misunderstood thinker, so it is no surprise that this introduction was lacking in sharpness. I suppose that this book may be a good place to start with Foucault, but if you are expecting the author to elucidate Foucault's main ideas, you may try looking elsewhere.
This is the place to start for Foucault........2005-12-11
Written in an easy-read, yet perfectly scholarly manner, Foucault: A Very Short Introduction is a great jumping-off point for the student or interested scholar of literary, cultural, and/or political theory. While brief (as promised) and cursory, it nevertheless goes to the heart of much of Foucault's work as it has influenced that of other modern thinkers. An enjoyable read that will no doubt point in many directions for further study. Contains a good bibliography as well.
Average customer rating:
- Interesting, but too apologetic about the Western tradition.
- Good, but wish it could be better....
- Concise, entertaining, informative and surprising
|
Classics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
Mary Beard , and
John Henderson
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
| Humor
| Movies
| Music
| Performing Arts
| Pop Culture
| Puzzles & Games
| Radio
| Sheet Music & Scores
| Television
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
Movements & Periods
| History & Criticism
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Arthurian Romance
| Beat Generation
| General
| Gothic Revival
| Medieval
| Modernism
| Postmodernism
| Renaissance
| Romanticism
| Surrealism
| Victorian
Greek
| Classics
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Classics
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Civilization & Culture
| Historical Study
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Culture
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside History Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
General
| Art
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Historical Study
| History
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Reference
| Revolutionary
| Social History
Greek
| Classics
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Culture
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Reference
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Arts & Photography
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Entertainment
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Literature & Fiction
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Professional
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
-
History: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
-
Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
-
Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
-
The Bible: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
ASIN: 0192853856 |
Book Description
This Very Short Introduction to Classics links a haunting temple on a lonely mountainside to the glory of ancient Greece and the grandeur of Rome, and to Classics within modern culture-from Jefferson and Byron to Asterix and Ben-Hur. We are all Classicists - we come into touch with the Classics daily: in our culture, politics, medicine, architecture, language, and literature. What are the true roots of these influences, however, and how do our interpretations of these aspects of the Classics differ from their original reception? This introduction to the Classics begins with a visit to the British Museum to view the frieze which once decorated the Apollo Temple at Bassae. Through these sculptures, John Henderson and Mary Beard prompt us to consider the significance of Classics as a means of discovery and enquiry, its value in terms of literature, philposophy, and culture, and its importance as a source of imagery.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting, but too apologetic about the Western tradition........2005-05-15
The term "Classics" refers to the study of Greek and Latin Antiquity, but the authors seem to be vaguely embarrassed and apologetic in a "P.C." kind of way for their interest in this field. If they had deleted Chapter 3, which is a disclaimer of any belief in the "superiority" of the Classical tradition, and if they had avoided sticking the word "classics" in italics at odd places throughout the text, as though we might have forgotten what the book was about, I would have enjoyed it more.
Having said that, they cover an awful lot of ground in surprising depth and in an interesting way in a short few pages. The discussion is organized around the Temple of Bassae, about which they tell us a great deal, using the temple and its history to explain the very complicated relationship between the culture of Ancient Greece and Rome and our own. I have a good though unsystematic familiarity with the Classical world, and I found much that was new and interesting in this book.
The list of further reading is very good, in spite of being a bit "P.C." It is perhaps geared more to the intermediate student than to the complete beginner. The further one delves into the Classical world, the more one realizes just how vast an ocean one has entered, so even this list just scratches the surface.
It's a good read, but I took one star off for unwarranted political correctness.
As an introduction to the Classical world for beginners Edith Hamilton's "The Greek Way" and "The Roman Way" are hard to beat. They were written in pre-"P.C." days, when one didn't have to be coy about extolling the virtues of Western culture and the Classical tradition.
Moses I. Finley's "The Ancient Greeks", though less lyrical than Hamilton's books, is also quite good.
Good, but wish it could be better...........2005-04-27
It's an interesting book, to be sure: especially to most American readers, who consider "the classics" as a field of study to be concerned mostly with the narrow teaching and learning of Latin, Greek, and maybe a little Hebrew or hieroglyphics. Actually, Classics concerns not only these languages, but the culture involved: art, archeological studies, anthropology of the the Mediterranian region (and beyond), linguistics, the history of logic and law, and so forth.
This is illustrated by the changing role of the temple of Apollo at Bassae, from sacred site to shrouded detour for vacationers: we're given a thorough grounding on how even the study of this relatively insignificant spot can involve many disciplines, and many aspects of Classical civilization. Further chapters use related hooks: slavery, entertainment, and the phrase "et in Arcadia ego" (da Vinci Code fans take note), before returning to the original conceit, and a concluding note on the centrality of Classical studies to an appreciation of the Western heritage.
Unfortunately, one is left hanging by the section labeled "Further Reading". I would have expected, and appreciated, some suggestions geared towards the beginner: certainly there is no end of books on the subject, but I'd like to have heard the joint authors' ideas on which one-volume history of Greece or Rome is the clearest and best, how to embark on learning some of the languages involved outside of school, and so on. Instead, I get a straightforward scholarly bibliography of the works quoted, but no idea of how to proceed towards the understanding that would make these works meaningful. It's as if one were to write a book "A Very Short Introduction to Mountaineering", in which one was given a fulsome account of how wonderful it felt to climb Everest, a warm salutation to the reader, an expressed wish that all might attain the peak, and then, just when one is truly excited and primed to add Tibet to their life list of Places to Go, the How to Get Started page carries only a few snaps of Base Camp.
Gradus ad Parnassum indeed. And for this I remove one star.
Otherwise, a pretty good book, and a good start to a study of the Classics, or of the VSI series as a whole.
Concise, entertaining, informative and surprising.......1999-10-27
Beard and Henderson use as their primary focus - the temple at Bassae - to introduce the wide world of Classics and classical inquiry to the reader. It's a fascinating and enjoyable read. The use of Bassae as the focus of the introduction lends the text a cohesiveness that is so often lacking in introductory Classical works. They show how the discovery of the temple leads one to questions about history, Greek societal structure, morality, Greek cultural norms, the relation of Romans to Greeks (and Egyptians to Greeks), etc. Very very good book. Highly recommended.
Book Description
This book is not about myths, but about approaches to myth, from all of the major disciplines, including science, religion, philosophy, literature, and psychology. The fate of the preternaturally beautiful Adonis is one of the main fables upon which Segal focuses, in an attempt to analyse the various different theories of myth. Where the theory does not work, he substitutes another myth, showing that, for all their claims to all-inclusiveness, certain theories, in fact, only apply to specific kinds of myths. A uniform set of questions is provided, to elucidate both the strengths and the weaknesses of the conjectures. A survey of the past 300 years of theorizing on myth, this book takes into account the work of such prominent thinkers as Albert Camus, Claude Levi-Strauss, Roland Barthes, C. G. Jung, and Sigmund Freud. Finally, Segal considers the future study of myth, and the possible function of myth in the world as the adult equivalent of play.
Book Description
This acclaimed short study, originally published in 1983, and now thoroughly updated, elucidates the varied theoretical contributions of Roland Barthes (1915-80), the 'incomparable enlivener of the literary mind' whose lifelong fascination was with the way people make their world intelligible. He has a multi-faceted claim to fame: to some he is the structuralist who outlined a 'science of literature', and the most prominent promoter of semiology; to others he stands not for science but pleasure, espousing a theory of literature which gives the reader a creative role. This book describes the many projects, which Barthes explored and which helped to change the way we think about a range of cultural phenomena - from literature, fashion, wrestling, and advertising to notions of the self, of history, and of nature.
Book Description
The complex world of Egyptian myth is clearly illuminated in this fascinating new approach to ancient Egypt. Geraldine Pinch explores the cultural and historical background behind a wide variety of sources and objects, from Cleopatra's Needle and Tutankhamun's golden statue, to a story on papyrus of the gods misbehaving. What did they mean, and how have they been interpreted? The reader is taken on an exciting journey through the distant past, and shown how myths of deities such as Isis and Osiris influenced contemporary culture and have become part of our cultural heritage.
Book Description
Were it not for the Marquis de Sade's explicit use of language and complete disregard for the artificially constructed taboos of a religious morality he despised, the novelty and profundity of his thought, and above all, its fundamental modernity, would have long since secured him a place alongside the greatest authors and thinkers of the European Enlightenment. This Very Short Introduction aims to disentangle the 'real' Marquis de Sade from his mythical and demonic reputation of the past two hundred years. Phillips examines Sade's life and work: his libertine novels, his championing of atheism, and his uniqueness in bringing the body and sex back into philosophy.
Customer Reviews:
Phillips on Sade: Laugh? I nearly died.......2007-06-25
The appearance of John Phillips' The Marquis de Sade: A Very Short Introduction, appearing in the popular Oxford University Press Very Short Introduction series, further secures Sade's place in the occidental canon. Like myself, Phillips takes Sade to be a philosopher, placing him squarely in the context of the 18th Century philosophes. Phillips gives a sound overview of several key philosophical themes in Sade's work, in particular his atheism, his political involvement, and his dealings with gender and sexuality. He also (correctly, I think) takes Sade to anticipate Nietzsche on the question of Judaeo-Christian morality. Philosophical discussion is, however, secondary to literary analysis.
There are a number of problems with the text, besides being too brief for extended philosophical analysis. In seeking to extract his subject from the myth of the `poisonous de Sade,' Phillips goes too far in portraying him as merely misunderstood, thereby propagating an equally dubious counter-myth. He makes a number of factual errors, for example where he asserts that Sade was imprisoned for his writings, rather than his sadistic sexual abuse and his death threats, where he suggests that Sade had read Kant (unsubstantiated in all of the critical literature in either English or French), or where he states that Foucault had published a study on Sade (Foucault merely mentions Sade in passing in a number of texts and interviews). Where Phillips asserts Sade's intellectual sophistication, he frequently goes no further than appealing to the authority of Le Brun, Foucault and Bataille, whose interpretations (which are mutually incompatible on several points) are not critically discussed. (Some of these interpretations have been apparently lifted verbatim: Phillips writes that "Sade is the only atheistic philosopher of his time to have a physical awareness of the infinite," which is word for word from Annie Le Brun; Phillips: 43). Also problematic is Phillips' insistence (found also in his earlier journal article, "Laugh? I nearly died! Humour in Sade's fiction") that the most horrific scenes in Sade are intended to be merely humorous. As with a number of other critics, Phillips also tries to have his cake and eat it, asserting that Sade heroically lived beyond all good and evil, and that it is a mistake to `confuse' his own views with that of his homicidal and sadistic characters. Phillips also inconsistently asserts that Sade's work is concerned with destroying morality and exploring the human psyche's potential for evil, yet merely fictional when it suits his argument, for example where he rejects the Sade-Nazi association made by Camus, Adorno and Horkheimer and others.
Rehabilitating le Bon Marquis.......2006-01-02
There are few people in history whose reputation precedes them to a greater degree than the notorious Marquis de Sade. He is rarely thought of as anything but a vile and violent pornographer whose personal life largely mirrored his written work--so much so that the sexual behavior represented in his most notorious novels is named sadism in his "honor". John Phillips has devoted much scholarly research to rehabilitating the image of Sade, and this brief book (from the outstanding Oxford Very Short Introductions series)is an admirable inclusion to this effort. Along with his other works on Sade, Phillips argues that Sade is far more than just a pornographer. Rather, as a writer he displays wit, irony and satire at a level rarely reached; and as a thinker he develops understandings of man and society that are in many ways well ahead of their time, and worth serious consideration on their own merit as plausible accounts.
After a brief overview of Sade's life, Phillips undertakes an examination of Sade's literary works, placing them within the context of both the widespread government and priestly corruption of l'Ancienne Regime, as well as the haphazard violence of Robbespierre's Committee of Public Safety. In his interpretation, Sade comes through as a master of social and political satire.
But more than just a satirist (though one of the highest order, deserving of recognition along with such greats as Swift, Voltaire, Ehrenreich and Vidal), Sade comes across as someone with a new philosophical approach to man and the world. At a time where atheism was a capital offense, Sade was an unabashed atheist. Long before Freud, Sade recognizes the fundamentality of sexuality to human life. Long before existentialism, Sade was concerned with understanding man within the context of a meaningless world governed only by natural law. Perhaps the best chapter of the book is chapter 5: Theatres of the Body, where Phillips explicates Sade's conception of what we could call (though this is not Phillips' term) a "sextopia", where it is the body and its needs, especially its sexual needs, and not the soul, where man's true nature lay. Especially insightful is his presentation of Sade's "Philosophy in the Boudoir" as an antithesis to the story of the fall-where Eugenie's education into libertinism (which is nicely explicated in the novel) leads her not into expulsion from a spiritual Eden, but assumption into a sexual Eden.
There are many fine points to this work. Phillips clearly places Sade's thought on a continuum with both his predecessors (Julien Offray de la Mettrie and Paul Henri Thierry Baron d'Holbach in particular) and those influenced by him (including Freud, Richard von Krafft-Ebing, Angela Carter and Guillaume Apollinaire). He does an excellent job of bringing out serious philosophical concerns and arguments from Sade's work, even arguing that desipe Sade's reputation his works are so filled with philosophical discourse that they often *fail* as pornography. Phillips also does an outstanding job of evaluating Sade's relationship with feminism and postmodernism as far more ambiguous than many often suppose.
All in all, I have only two complaints about the book, one of which is fairly tangential. The tangential problem is that Phillips tries to locate Sade's own thought within the ethics of Immanuel Kant, but Phillips gets Kant's moral thought as wrong as possible: the view attributed to Kant is precisely the view Kant spends no less than *three* books arguing against. But that's a small matter given the purpose of the book. My only real substantive complaint is that I wish Phillips would have paid more *explicit* attention to Sade's critique of the Enlightenment ideal of reason as a guide to the moral construction of society. This is merely hinted at in this work, but it strikes me that one of Sade's main lessons is the inability of reason to overcome the eruptions of the passions, particularly our "sadistic" and violent urges. Given the quality of this work overall, I suspect that this may be covered more explicitly in Phillips' other works on Sade.
Overall, this is an excellent introduction to the ideas and writings of a man who, like Nietzsche and Marx, is far more often talked about than read. It not only undermines many common assumptions about Sade, but it presents him as a serious literary and philosophical figure whose writings are worth far more careful attention than has been paid to them to date. For that, Phillips deserves our, and le Bon Marquis', sincere thanks.
Book Description
This book is intended to capture the interest of anyone who has been attracted to Russian culture through the greats of Russian literature, either through the texts themselves, or encountering them in the cinema, or opera. Rather than a conventional chronology of Russian literature, the book will explore the place and importance of literature of all sorts in Russian culture. How and when did a Russian national literature come into being? What shaped its creation? How have the Russians regarded their literary language? The book will uses the figure of Pushkin, 'the Russian Shakespeare' as a recurring example as his work influenced every Russian writer who came after hime, whether poets or novelists. It will look at such questions as why Russian writers are venerated, how they've been interpreted inside Russia and beyond, and the influences of such things as the folk tale tradition, orthodox religion, and the West.
Customer Reviews:
Only for those who already know about Russian Literature.......2007-02-24
The author of this book is indisputably an expert in Russian Literature -- and it shows in the book. Through her studies and research on various dimensions and periods of Russian Literature, Catriona Kelly has formed her own approach, or her own point of view, about this vast topic, and this book is an introduction to Kelly's approach to Russian Literature, rather than an introduction to Russian Literature per se.
As the previous reviewer wrote, the book is not for people who want to get an initial idea on the Russian Literature. In my case (and I consider myself a "novice" in this subject), it was only after reading another introductory book (as short as this one) that I realized how many important authors and trends and debates were left out of this "very short introduction".
Catriona Kelly is correct to place Pushkin in the center of Russian Literature, but I wish she described in more detail what preceded him, and other, perhaps equally significant authors and poets who followed him.
I would recommend this book only to people who are already familiar with Russian literature and are open to new ways at looking at it.
Not for Novices.......2004-06-24
If you're looking for a basic introduction to Russian literature, this is probably not a very good place to start. Now, I know the title has the words "Russian Literature" and "Introduction" in itóbut don't let that mislead you. Kelly has purposely set out to avoid the "standard" approach to the topic, which she says tends to take one of three forms: a chronological canon of writers and their works, a chronological trip through literary movements and cultural topics of relevance, or a more personal essay of appreciation. In retrospect, I now recognize that, not having read a great deal of Russian literature, I was looking for a mix of the canon and the literary movements. Instead, what I found in Kelly's work was a confusing attempt to attack the material by using the "Russian Shakespeare" (Aleksander Pushkin) as a framing device.
Through the seven essayish chapters, Pushkin is used as a starting point for the discussion, and then various other writers and themes are introduced in relation to his work or attitudes. As one jacket blurb puts it, this is "an unexpected approach to the subject". And as another blurb puts it, "you may love it, perhaps loathe it, or feel perplexed, but not remain indifferent." Well, mark me down for perplexed. I'm not at all opposed to this approach to the topic, it just doesn't seem particularly well suited as an introduction. It's hard to imagine anyone without a solid grounding in the major Russian writers being able to summon up love or hate for this brief work. It simply assumes too much familiarity on behalf of the reader to be of any utility to the newcomer to Russian literature. So, perhaps I'll return to it in 15 years, after I've had a chance to read some of the vital works, but in the meantime, I'm still trying to learn what those might be.
Book Description
'When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous insect ...' So begins Franz Kafka's most famous story Metamorphosis. Franz Kafka (1883-1924) is among the most intriguing and influential writers of the twentieth century. During his lifetime he worked as a civil servant and published only a handful of short stories, the best known being The Transformation. All three of his novels, The Trial, The Castle, and The Man Who Disappeared [America], were published after his death and helped to found Kafka's reputation as a uniquely perceptive interpreter of the twentieth century. Kafka's fiction vividly evokes bizarre situations: a commercial traveller is turned into an insect, a banker is arrested by a mysterious court, a fasting artist starves to death in the name of art, a singing mouse becomes the heroine of her nation. Attending both to Kafka's crisis-ridden life and to the subtleties of his art, Ritchie Robertson shows how his work explores such characteristically modern themes as the place of the body in culture, the power of institutions over people, and the possibility of religion after Nietzsche had proclaimed 'the death of God'. The result is an up-to-date and accessible portrait of a fascinating author which shows us ways to read and make sense of his perplexing and absorbing work.
Customer Reviews:
"I will tear you apart like a fish".......2007-06-21
This is a small but insightful overview of the life and work of Kafka. Robertson provides new insight into aspects of Kafka's life and legend. He presents the interesting idea that Kafka himself had the idea of this legend and consciously worked to cultivate it. In this Kafka is compared to Byron who too in his own way helped create an image of himself which dominated an Age.
Robertson analyses the critical relationship of Kafka to his father Hermann. The overwhelming power and physical presence of his father contributed to Kafka's own sense of inadequacy, fear, frustration. " I will tear you apart like a fish" his father said in one notable childhood incident.
Robertson who has written on Heine, on Mann and is an expert in German Literature has a deep, intimate knowledge of the Kafka world . The work gives in a short space a clear conception of the writer whose anxieties and ambiguities , whose sense of fear and foreboding , were transformed into a Literature of incredible intensity , horrifying beauty.
Okay overview of a fascinating guy.......2006-02-08
Almost all of the Very Short Introductions from Oxford University press do at least a decent job of introducing their subject, and most of them are accessible enough that newcomers can gain an appreciation of the topic without too much work.
This volume on the iconoclast writer Franz Kafka (1883-1924) is no different. Robertson gives an overview of Kafka's life, and goes on to explore specific themes important in Kafka's writing - with special emphasis given to "bodies" (as in physical bodies) and "institutions". A special exploration of Kafka's religious thought is also quite interesting.
Cosntant reference is made to the plots of Kafka's novels and many of his short stories, and excerpts from journals and letters also appear throughout.
However, there is a certen lack of coherent vision or high-level organization in this book; Robertson covers a great deal, but it seems as if the book could have used a bit more editing and re-organization - a bit more fluidity in the narrative and clarity in the layout - to make it great instead of merely good.
Despite this, I recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.
Small size, huge resource.......2005-09-02
Who on earth can adequately introduce a writer of Kafka's stature in the few short (and very tiny) pages the "Very Short Introduction" series allows? Only someone like Ritchie Robertson, a man who has thought and written extensively on Kafka, Mann and other German authors. Ritchie is succinct, respectful, loving and clear and (miracle of miracles) manages to combine autobiography, analysis and a helping hand to all those either curious or flummoxed over the enigmatic Kafka.
He discusses F.K.'s modernist and uneasy relationship with the body, his representation of modernist thought and philosophy, and much more. He even tackles the Aphorisms, something not many writers, academic or otherwise, are willing to attempt. It's hard to believe that so small a book could cover so many bases so well. There are more thorough bios and analyses out there, but for its size (and cost), this tiny one was a delightful surprise. It's a trustworthy place to start.
Book Description
Germaine Greer examines Shakespeare's plays in detail, showing how he dramatized moral and intellectual issues in such a way that his audience became dazzlingly aware of an imaginative dimension to daily life. She argures that as long as Shakespeare's work remains central to English cultural life, it will retain the values which make it unique in the world.
Customer Reviews:
Defending a Past Master.......2005-10-12
I read this book at least a decade ago when it was part of the Past Masters series, along with at least a dozen or so other titles in the series. I still remember impressive parts of this book - such as the discussion of Lear's senility - while none of the other titles made such a lasting impression.
As I could not find my old copy, I came to Amazon to reorder it and found two brief, scathing reviews on the web page. I consider them grossly unfair. Greer's text is admittedly a bit harder going that some others in the series, but it repays close reading. Somehow the Oxford editor let this one through without the usual brutal editing that makes the prose almost as easy to read as journalistic writing. The book is simply not as "introductory" as others in the series, and I would not recommend it to anyone who has not already read the major plays.
Greer is most famed as a feminist, of course, but this text is not burdened with irrelevant gender politics (as, say, Julia Annas' book on Plato in the same series is). Greer's points on gender in this book are measured, thoughtful and surprising. She starts out with the central point that younger, humorless feminists have missed: That Shakespeare in his way adored women. I have read scores of recent Shakespeare editions in the Oxford, Cambridge and Arden 3 series, and this is one of the few discussions of gender in Shakespeare that I have found to be worth reading. (The worst discussions are the ones written by male authors who seem to believe that they need to insert a section on gender whether or not it is relevant to the play. Cf. the recent Oxford edition of Timon of Athens for an egregious example.)
For all that, most readers will find Greer's analyses of the major plays the high point of the book.
This work is not about Shakespeare.......2005-01-25
I have read almost all of the works in the Past Masters series. This is by far the worse. I do not ordinarily write about books I do not like. But this work truly deserves a bad word. It is not about Shakespeare , but rather about Germaine Greer. She simply did not do the assignment that she was given.
Zuh?.......2003-06-20
How Germaine Greer came to be an authority on Shakespeare, I'll never know. Actually, I can't believe people are still writing about this guy at all.
Books:
- Local Government Law in a Nutshell (Nutshell Series)
- Nolo's Quick LLC: All You Need to Know About Limited Liability Companies
- Pivotal Politics: A Theory of U.S. Lawmaking
- Planning and Design of Airports, 4/e
- Pocket Guide to the ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities, Revised Edition
- Principles of Kinesic Interview and Interrogation, Second Edition
- Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation: Southern Europe, South America, and Post-Communist Europe
- Public School Law: Teacher's and Student's Rights, Fifth Edition
- Readings in the Philosophy of Science: From Positivism to Postmodernism
- Rough Justice
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Henry and the Clubhouse
- Cast in Shadow
- Why We Age: What Science Is Discovering about the Body's Journey Through Life
- A Rumor of War
- Artists Photo Reference Birds
- Chicken Tractor: The Permaculture Guide to Happy Hens and Healthy Soil
- Boyds Tracker Plush: Value Guide, Second Edition, Vol. 1 of 2
- M/E/A/N/I/N/G: An Anthology of Artists' Writings, Theory, and Criticism
- A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale
- Wormworld Book and Tank
