Literary Theory: A Guide for the Perplexed

by Mary Klages

Book Overview

This Guide for the Perplexed provides an advanced introduction to literary theory from basic information and orientation for the uninformed leading on to more sophisticated readings. It engages directly with the difficulty many students find intimidating, asking 'What is ''Literary Theory''?' and offering a clear, concise, accessible guide to the major theories and theorists, including: humanism; structuralism; poststructuralism; psychoanalytic...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0826490735
• ISBN13: 9780826490735
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Continuum
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

A Basic Book Does Its Job

Whenever one wishes to learn what passes for cutting edge criticism in literary theory whether on an undergraduate or graduate level, one is faced with the daunting prospect of a thicket of prose made nearly impenetrable by scholarly jargonese and unfamiliar concepts. In LITERARY THEORY: A GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED, Mary Klages, an Associate Professor of English at the University of Colorado, has succeeded in demystifying this thicket, presenting the reader with a basic text that ought to belong on that reader's permanent shelf. Part of the problem that most readers find in introductory texts on theory is that these texts often assume previous knowledge or the organizational structure of the material is a jumble of poorly connected facts. Klages begins with a concise definition which leads to her first consideration of pre-twentieth century theory. Most texts scant the reader with the works of Plato, Aristotle, Wordsworth, and Arnold, but not Klages. She points out that one cannot understand the humanistic tradition in literary theory of the first half of the twentieth century unless one first can grasp how the Enlightenment impacted on such early theories as the New Criticism. Klages' strong point is her ability to place theory under two broad categories of humanism and poststructuralism, both of which she defines clearly. It would not be easy for anyone to plow through the literary fog of deconstruction, psychoanalysis, feminism, queer theory, New Historicism, Marxism, postcolonialism, and postmodernism without descending into the very real verbal foliage that both categorizes such theories and acts as a stumbling block toward understanding. Mary Klages has indeed done so. Now having said that, Klages is fairly typical of most theorists in that she presents these theories in an unprejudiced manner, which on the surface is laudatory, but in reality, her refusal to pass judgment on their validity is a serious flaw. Nowhere does she hint that without exception every theory devised since 1960 is based on the race/gender,class victim ideology that now characterizes nearly every humanties department in America's colleges and universities. Nowhere does she suggest that each theory suffers from some serious flaws in logic and consistency. She mentions the works of Frederick Jameson and Michael Foucault without indicating that Jameson's Marxist tilt is so overwhelming that his overall paradigms are suspect and Foucault's inability to distinguish degree of power alienation mark his paradigms as equally suspect. Still, for one who wishes to plunge unaided in the whirlpool of critical theory with only Klages as a life preserver, LITERARY THEORY: A GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED is a worthy read.

Clear and concise -- Lit Theory in "simple form"

I bought this book because I was perplexed with all the terminology and application of theory to literary texts. I found this a useful guide that clearly expressed the function of theory, as well as the historical beginnings of theory, something I did not find in other guides (guides that were verbose and weighty, not the stuff for understanding the basics!). I'm certain that this book will prove a useful guide when I myself take my graduate theory class in September. Dr. Klages has done literature students, both undergraduate and graduate, a great service with this book.

Literary Theory is especially ideal for high school seniors and freshman college students

Written by literary theory teacher Mary Klages, Literary Theory: A Guide for the Perplexed is a straightforward introduction to thinkers, writers, and subjects that students of literature can find confusing. The overviews apply specific focus to the most challenging ideas and concepts, and touch upon structuralism, deconstruction, psychoanalysis, feminism, queer theory, ideology and discourse, race and postcolonialism, postmodernism, and prominent figures of humanist literary theory. Written in terms accessible to lay readers, Literary Theory is especially ideal for high school seniors and freshman college students, and anyone else who can use a solid grounding in the basics.