The Practice of Reading

'An exceptionally attractive selection of titles for a diverse range of critical theoretical perspectives to analyse and evaluate. - John Marland, College of Ripon & York St John '[Alsop and Walsh] hope at the end of their book that they have championed the experience of discovery which (really) is at the heart of the practice of reading. That hope is realized. I found their readings and discoveries lively and insightful. It was a joy to read a book where the writers did not fear to be enthusiastic and to value what they read.' - Carole Cox, The Use of English

An examination of the art of interpreting the novel in the context of developments in literary theory and criticism. Believing that reading is or should be a pleasurable, creative activity, the authors analyze a range of seven novels from the 18th century to the present.The Practice of Reading is a lucid and lively examination of the art of interpreting the novel in the context of recent developments in literary theory and criticism. Believing that reading is - or should be - a pleasurable, creative activity, the authors analyse a range of seven novels from the eighteenth century to the present, focusing upon the experiential dimensions of the reading process. What is the role of the reader? What happens when a novel is read? How far does meaning depend on the reader, and how far on the text? These and other related questions are explored in readings of novels as diverse as Tristram Shandy, Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations, Daniel Deronda, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Beckett's Trilogy and Possession.
In its insistence upon a return to the practice of close reading, the book represents a timely intervention in current literary debates. An accessible, informative and above all stimulating text for all university and college students of literature.