Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (2nd Edition)
by Jonathan Culler
Short Oxford introduction organized around problems rather than warring schools, covering what literature is, meaning, identity, narrative, ethics and aesthetics. Gives a newcomer the vocabulary and core interpretive moves before tackling primary theorists.
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The Paris Review
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Introduction to Theory of Literature
Explore literary theory with Yale's Paul Fry! This introductory course covers key concepts and critical approaches to literature.
Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature
Twenty essays reading single passages from Homer to Woolf to trace how Western writing represents reality, each chapter a sustained demonstration of stylistic analysis. Shows what literary criticism looks like when practised at full strength rather than described. Rather than naming methods it performs criticism across three millennia of texts, which is the only way to learn judgement. Demanding: assumes broad literary background and multiple traditions.
How to Read Literature
Close-reading companion working through openings, tone, rhythm, syntax, ambiguity, character and narrative in passages from Shakespeare to Beckett. Builds the sentence-level analytical habits that theory presupposes but seldom teaches directly. It teaches the actual mechanics of analysing a passage.