Literary theorists, and probably other scholars, might be divided into two types: settlers and wanderers. The settlers stay put, “hovering one inch” over a set of issues or topics, as Paul de Man, the ...

Literary theory has a reputation for being difficult, unfairly or not. Whatever the case, everyone approaches literature (or any sort of cultural production — film, painting, sculpture, website, ...

It has held sway in the humanities for nearly four decades, surviving even the great culture wars. But it is being used in surprising ways. Either literary theory is dead, or it’s invincible. It all ...

Eagleton (The Truth About the Irish) has never been shy about expressing sharp, penetrating opinions. In this entertaining memoir of his childhood and intellectual development, Eagleton lives up to ...

What is to be done? The death knells for theory (deconstructive, psychoanalytic, feminist, postcolonial, queer, etc.) have been tolling for some time, tolled not least by its former extollers. It ...

The British academic Terry Eagleton has the unusual — possibly unique — distinction of having written a bestselling book about late-20th-century literary theory. The book, “Literary Theory: An ...

Notable 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 ...