An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory

Andrew Bennett is Professor of English at the University of Bristol. He publishes on Romantic and twentieth-century literature and on literary theory. His books include This Thing Called Literature (2015, coauthored with Nicholas Royle), William Wordsworth in Context (2015), Ignorance: Literature and Agnoiology (2009) and The Author (2005). Nicholas Royle is Professor of English at the University of Sussex. He publishes on literary theory, modern literature and Shakespeare. His books include Veering: A Theory of Literature (2011), How to Read Shakespeare (2005) and Jacques Derrida (2003), as well as the novel Quilt (2010).

Alternative table of contents. Authors' acknowledgements. Publisher's acknowledgements. Preface. A note on texts used. 1. The beginning 2. Readers and reading 3. The author 4. The text and the world 5. The uncanny 6. Monuments 7. Narrative 8. Character 9. Voice 10. Figures and tropes 11. Feelings 12. Creative writing 13. Laughter 14. The tragic 15. Wounds 16. History 17. Me 18. Eco 19. Animals 20. Ghosts 21. Body 22. Moving pictures 23. Sexual difference 24. God 25. Ideology 26. Love 27. Desire 28. Queer 29. Suspense 30. Racial difference 31. The colony 32. Mutant 33. The performative 34. Secrets 35. Postmodern 36. Pleasure 37. War 38. The end. Glossary. Literary works discussed. Bibliography of critical and theoretical works. Index.