The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism: Volume 9, Twentieth-Century Historical, Philosophical and Psychological Perspectives

This ninth volume in The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism presents a wide-ranging survey of developments in literary criticism and theory during the last century. Drawing on the combined expertise of a large team of specialist scholars, it offers an authoritative account of the various movements of thought that have made the late twentieth century such a richly productive period in the history of criticism. The aim has been to cover developments which have had greatest impact on the academic study of literature, along with background chapters that place those movements in a broader, intellectual, national and socio-cultural perspective. In comparison with Volumes Seven and Eight, also devoted to twentieth-century developments, there is marked emphasis on the rethinking of historical and philosophical approaches, which have emerged, especially during the past two decades, as among the most challenging areas of debate.

• An accessible history of the key movements in recent literary-theoretical and related thought • The most up-to-date and comprehensive work of its kind • Authoritative treatment by scholars in a range of fields

Notes on contributors; Introduction Christa Knellwolf and Christopher Norris; Part I. History: 1. Historicism and historical criticism Paul Hamilton; 2. Literary criticism and the history of ideas Timothy Bahti; 3. Cultural materialism John Drakakis; 4. New historicism Duncan Salkeld; 5. Fascist politics and literary criticism Ortwin de Graef, Dirk de Geest and Eveline Vanfrausen; Part II. Marxism and Post Marxism: 6. Marxism and literary criticism Alex Callinicos; 7. Marxism and poststructuralism Michael Ryan; 8. Adorno and the early Frankfurt School Andrew Edgar; 9. The German-French debate: critical theory, hermeneutics and deconstruction Andrew Bowie; 10. Post-war Italian intellectual culture: from Marxism to cultural studies Renate Holub; Part III. From Folk Narratives to Cultural Studies: 11. Mikhail Bakhtin: language, narrative and literature Ken Hirschkop; 12. Cultural studies Chris Weedon; 13. Literature and the institutional context Gary Day; Part IV. Psychoanalytic Approaches: 14. Literary criticism and psychoanalytic positions Rainer Emig; Part V. Gender and Sexuality: 15. The history of feminist criticism Christa Knellwolf; 16. Deconstruction and feminism Diane Elam; 17. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer and transgender criticism Joseph Bristow; Part VI. Colonialism, Post-Coloniality, Nation and Race: 18. Post-colonial theory Firdous Azim; 19. African American literary history Simon Lee Price; 20. Anthropological criticism Brian Coates; Part VII. Modernity and Postmodernism: 21. Modernism, modernity, modernisation Robert Holub; 22. Postmodernism Patricia Waugh; Part VIII. Philosophy, Aesthetics and Literary Criticism: 23. Words and things in phenomenology and existentialism Clive Cazeaux; 24. Criticism, aesthetics and analytic philosophy Peter Lamarque; 25. Italian idealism Stephen Moller; 26. Spanish and Spanish American poetics and criticism Manuel Barbeito Varela; 27. American neopragmatism and its background Dan Latimer; 28. Ethics and literary studies Geoffrey Harpham; Part IX. Interdisciplinary Approaches: 29. Literature and theology Kevin Mills; 30. Literary theory, science and philosophy of science Christopher Norris; Bibliography; Index.

‘Exploring both the highways and many of the byways of historically-inflected modes of criticism, this volume is an invaluable guide to the manifold ways in which literature was understood during the twentieth century in its interaction with social, cultural, and political contexts. It spans French, German, Italian, and Spanish criticism in addition to that of the English-speaking world, and constitutes a readable introduction to these diverse traditions as well as an extremely useful reference tool.’ Derek Attridge, University of York

\'… the most successful contributions to this volume … bypass the familiar divisions of twentieth-century criticism into autonomous schools of thought, choosing instead to reveal their historical or philosophical foundations. … What emerges throughout the volume is a concern with the borders (national, institutional, disciplinary) of criticism.\' Times Literary Supplement

‘This book is an impressive addition to the burgeoning literature on contemporary literary and cultural theory … the scholarly apparatus can hardly be faulted .. a diverse and well-argued series of essays.\' English