Literature An Introduction to Theory and Analysis [Hardcover]

How does literature work? And what does it mean? How does it relate to the world: to politics, to history, to the environment? How do we analyse and interpret a literary text, paying attention to its specific poetic and fictitious qualities?This wide-ranging introduction helps students to explore these and many other essential questions in the study of literature, criticism and theory. In a series of introductory chapters, leading international scholars present the fundamental topics of literary studies through conceptual definitions as well as interpretative readings of works familiar from a range of world literary traditions.

In an easy-to-navigate format,Literature: An Introduction to Theory and Analysiscovers such topics as:

??Key definitions ??? from plot, character and style to genre, trope and author
??Literature's relationship to the surrounding world ??? ethics, politics, gender and nature
??Modes of literature and criticism ??? from books to performance, from creative to critical writing

With annotated reading guides throughout and a glossary of major critical schools to help students when studying, revising and writing essays, this is an essential introduction and reference guide to the study of literature at all levels

Foreword
J. Hillis Miller, University of California Irvine

Introduction
Thomsen et el, Aarhus University

1. Literature
Lasse Horne Kj??ldgaard, Peter Simonsen, Roskilde University and University of Southern Denmark

2. Interpretation
Jesper Gulddal, Newcastle, AU

3. Genre
Eva H??ttner Aurelius, Lund University

4. Narrative
Stefan Iversen, Aarhus University

5. Character
Lis M??ller, Aarhus University

6.Narrator