Author Description

<p><i>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? </i>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.</p><p> In an easy-to-navigate format, <i>Literature: An Introduction to Theory and Analysis</i> covers such topics as:</p><p> ·Key definitions – from plot, character and style to genre, trope and author<br> ·Literature's relationship to the surrounding world – ethics, politics, gender and nature<br> ·Modes of literature and criticism – from books to performance, from creative to critical writing</p><p> 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</p>