000 01933n a2200217 a 4500
001 048992
005 20231009192941.0
008 130527s2013 ctu 000 0 eng
010 _a2013934188
020 _a9780300190960
042 _apcc
080 _a801 EAG
100 1 _aEagleton, Terry
_d, 1943-
245 1 0 _aHow to read literature
_c/ Terry Eagleton.
260 _aNew Haven, CT
_b: Yale University Press
_c, 2013.
300 _a216 pp.
_c; 22 cm.
520 _aNotable and polarizing English critic Eagleton provides basic instruction on close reading and literary criticism for beginners. He discusses the opening sentences of some famous works and explains how they establish tone, employ irony, or create dramatic effect. On Characterization, Eagleton explores some of Dickens's "freakish figures", Shakespeare's Othello as "a character without a context", and brings himself to task on a "woefully off the mark" early reading of Sue Bridehead in Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure. Eagleton (Literary Theory: An Introduction) explains different types of narrators, and the ways in which authors may reveal bias or "rig their narratives to suit their fictional purposes." He shows the process of literary interpretation in action, first with a silly analysis of "Baa Baa Black Sheep", and then more seriously delving into the themes, symbolism, and imagery of Dickens's Great Expectations. Crucially, he breaks down differences between Realism and Modernism in terms of creating characters, handling conflict, and dealing with the limitations of a narrative. He points to Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy as a subversion of Realism and an example of Modernism before its time. This is Eagleton at his most charming and an excellent guide for literature students early in their education or those seeking a refresher course.
650 4 _aCriticism
_x--Literary
650 4 _aLiterature
_x-Philosophy
942 _cMO
999 _c253415
_d253415