Beginning Theory : An Introduction To Literary And Cultural Theory (Revised) by Peter Barry

Beginning Theory has been assisting students in navigating the complexities of literary and cultural theory for over a decade. In this enhanced third edition, readers are provided with the most comprehensive introduction to the subject in a single volume. The bewildering array of theories, theorists, and technical jargon is expertly untangled, enabling readers to form their own opinions once they have grasped the fundamental principles and concepts.

This updated edition includes two new chapters that offer fresh perspectives. The first, “Literary Theory – A History in Ten Events,” provides a unique overview of the evolution of theory. The second chapter, “Theory after ‘Theory’,” explores the emergence of new “isms” since the publication of the second edition in 2002.

The book covers an expansive range of theories, including liberal humanism, structuralism, post-structuralism and deconstruction, postmodernism, psychoanalytic criticism, feminist criticism, lesbian/gay criticism, Marxist criticism, new historicism and cultural materialism, postcolonial criticism, stylistics, narratology, ecocriticism, presentism/transversal poetics, new aestheticism, historical formalism, and cognitive poetics.

This new edition reaffirms Beginning Theory as the go-to resource for students and readers seeking a comprehensive introduction to literary and cultural theory.