Picture of author.

Jonathan D. Culler

Autor(a) de Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction

21+ Works 3,427 Membros 30 Reviews 1 Favorited

About the Author

Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Cornell University, Culler has played an important role in the dissemination of structuralist and poststructuralist theory in the U.S. academy. His Structuralist Poetics (1975) was one of the first books to survey the new continental theory, and it mostrar mais included a bibliography with all the English translations of that work then available. As the title suggests, Culler's book concentrates on structuralist literary analysis, explicating in particular what various continental critics had to say about the "deep structures" or codes governing literary production as a mode of discourse with an apparent radical diversity of texts and "surface structures." He also covers some of the background to structuralist literary theory. Interestingly, Culler also develops in this book a theory of reading that is not quite structuralist, although it does make use of a structuralist vocabulary and some structuralist ideas. The Pursuit of Signs (1981) is, the second in his trilogy of introductions to this theory. It offers explanations of poststructuralist theory, which is as much a response to as a development of structuralist theory, whose premises it frequently rejects. Just one year later, Culler published a supplement to this volume, On Deconstruction (1982), devoted not only to the work of Derrida but also to the work of American deconstructionists, who were sometimes elaborating deconstruction in more obviously political directions; for example, by generating feminist deconstructive analyses. Culler has continued to interpret Continental theory and theorists for U.S. audiences in his more recent publications. A prolific author, he has also published books about nineteenth-century French literature and culture, the field in which he did his graduate work, and books or essays on a range of other topics which he addresses from the perspective of poststructuralist theory, including puns, tourism, and trash. (Bowker Author Biography) mostrar menos
Image credit: University Photography (Cornell)

Obras de Jonathan D. Culler

Associated Works

The Flowers of Evil (1936) — Introdução, algumas edições7,566 cópias
On Philology (1990) — Contribuinte — 19 cópias
The Oxford Handbook of Rhetorical Studies (2017) — Contribuinte — 12 cópias
The Cambridge Companion to Narrative Theory (2018) — Contribuinte — 8 cópias
Themes and Texts: Toward a Poetics of Expressiveness (1984) — Prefácio — 4 cópias

Etiquetado

Conhecimento Comum

Membros

Resenhas

This was very dry reading but at least I now know what I would be in for when approaching anything labeled or described as Literary Theory. So if you're in the least bit interested in literary theory but don't know where to start, this is probably the best place. At least when you're finished you'll definitely know if you want to proceed any further with the subject.
 
Marcado
Ranjr | outras 21 resenhas | Jul 13, 2023 |
There were parts where I think I grasped the point but would have welcomed more examples, there were other parts where I had no idea what was being said.
½
 
Marcado
Robertgreaves | outras 2 resenhas | Jun 23, 2022 |
I rarely rate others' work, and I'm certainly not going to rate this one. Let me just say that I've now read it twice, that I'm still learning from it, and that I wish any one of the teachers I'd had for related subjects had thought to offer some of the systematic views that are provided in this small book.
1 vote
Marcado
wbell539 | outras 21 resenhas | Dec 22, 2021 |
Very short, very concise book about literary theory. I knew nothing about literary theory until I read this book. It gave some good summaries of deconstuction and structuralism, constative and performative sentences, for example. Some of the chapters made more sense to me than others. I was reading this in conjunction with The Marriage Plot as Madeleine takes some literary theory and semiotics classes.

I'd like to know more, this book was a little TOO concise but it was the one available at the library. Since this is my first introduction to literary theory, I won't be able to comment too much on the pros/cons of this book until I've read more.

Next up - Derrida??
… (mais)
 
Marcado
Chica3000 | outras 21 resenhas | Dec 11, 2020 |

Listas

Prêmios

You May Also Like

Associated Authors

Estatísticas

Obras
21
Also by
6
Membros
3,427
Popularidade
#7,426
Avaliação
4.1
Resenhas
30
ISBNs
121
Idiomas
15
Favorito
1

Tabelas & Gráficos