Global Literary Theory

"This timely and path-breaking anthology makes it irresponsible not to study critical and literary theories in a global context."

Alexander C. Y. Huang, Recipient of the MLA Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for Comparative Literary Studies

"This substantive and significant collection of literary theory brings together a wealth of a really important critical material from around the world, including but also going beyond writers who have defined the field within the Western Academy. As a result, its carefully chosen and lucidly introduced extracts provide students with an exciting and accessible way into key conceptual, political and aesthetic questions and debates concerning the study of literature and culture in a global context. Global Literary Theory is a rich, stimulating and timely anthology, ideally positioned to help frame and shape how we engage with literary studies in the twenty-first century."

Dr Paul Young, University of Exeter, UK

"In a crowded and competitive field, Richard Lane’s anthology sets itself apart from the rest by living up to its title. This is a truly global survey of theory past and present, as comprehensive, judicious and up-to-the-minute as anyone could wish for. It promises to be an indispensable field-guide to the multiform complexities of theory for many years to come. "

Dr Paul Sheehan, Macquarie University, Australia

"Responding to our rapidly changing, globalised planet, this groundbreaking anthology fulfils three crucial tasks for students and teachers. It begins to help us understand different world traditions of literary interpretation; it introduces new theories and problems for reading literature internationally; and it will start to establish a properly global literary studies."

Professor Robert Eaglestone, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK

"Global Literary Theory takes its promise of global coverage seriously; the anthology covers the now canonical figures of literary theory and brings them into useful and often challenging dialogue with newer voices from around the world. But this is not to say that the concept of the global gets a free pass; the valuable section on discourses of globalization, when read alongside the original selections of material on postcolonialism and race (these selections ranging from a reading of the influence of the internet in China to postmodern constructions of Islam), mean that the anthology itself practices the critical awareness it seeks to promote in students."

Dr Christopher Pittard, University of Portsmouth, UK

"Global Literary Theory is an important resource for those teaching literary criticism and cultural theory. With clear prose and well-written section introductions contextualizing the extracts, the anthology provides a complete overview of theoretical fields while also situating the essays in relationship to each other across the global conversation. The result of Lane’s arrangement is that readers are aware not just of the important essays from key theoretical movements, but are also aware of how these essays address each other and the exigencies of a global sensibility. The Further Reading recommendations that appear at the end of each section make the text familiar to those versed in literary theory and approachable for those who are not. With a study of the framework of humanism at its core, the anthology encourages readers to examine what Lane calls "re-constituted" theory through a global lens. This is a valuable anthology for those looking to revisit the traditional views of literary theory from a global perspective."

Dr Corinna McLeod, Grand Valley State University, USA

"Global Literary Theory: An Anthology is a dynamic and illuminating synthesis of the fast moving and diverse field of literary theory. It introduces and subtly contextualizes a wide range of theoretical approaches from Russian formalism to postcolonialism, queer theory and globalization theory while never losing sight of their historical matrix and ongoing dialogue. We are reminded for example that the collapse of English literature's 'civilizing mission' was the catalyst for literary studies replenishment by a variety of transformative and politicized theoretical approaches and that Derridean deconstruction cannot be thought in isolation from his liminal Algerian heritage. Much more than a synopsis, Global Literary Theory is a superb intervention into the ongoing transnational conversation that constitutes contemporary literary theory."

Dr Ned Curthoys, Australian National University, Australia

"This timely and path-breaking anthology makes it irresponsible not to study critical and literary theories in a global context."Alexander C. Y. Huang, Recipient of the MLA Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for Comparative Literary Studies

"This substantive and significant collection of literary theory brings together a wealth of a really important critical material from around the world, including but also going beyond writers who have defined the field within the Western Academy. As a result, its carefully chosen and lucidly introduced extracts provide students with an exciting and accessible way into key conceptual, political and aesthetic questions and debates concerning the study of literature and culture in a global context. Global Literary Theory is a rich, stimulating and timely anthology, ideally positioned to help frame and shape how we engage with literary studies in the twenty-first century."Dr Paul Young, University of Exeter, UK

"In a crowded and competitive field, Richard Lane’s anthology sets itself apart from the rest by living up to its title. This is a truly global survey of theory past and present, as comprehensive, judicious and up-to-the-minute as anyone could wish for. It promises to be an indispensable field-guide to the multiform complexities of theory for many years to come."Dr Paul Sheehan, Macquarie University, Australia

"Responding to our rapidly changing, globalised planet, this groundbreaking anthology fulfils three crucial tasks for students and teachers. It begins to help us understand different world traditions of literary interpretation; it introduces new theories and problems for reading literature internationally; and it will start to establish a properly global literary studies."Professor Robert Eaglestone, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK

"Global Literary Theory takes its promise of global coverage seriously; the anthology covers the now canonical figures of literary theory and brings them into useful and often challenging dialogue with newer voices from around the world. But this is not to say that the concept of the global gets a free pass; the valuable section on discourses of globalization, when read alongside the original selections of material on postcolonialism and race (these selections ranging from a reading of the influence of the internet in China to postmodern constructions of Islam), mean that the anthology itself practices the critical awareness it seeks to promote in students."Dr Christopher Pittard, University of Portsmouth, UK

"Global Literary Theory is an important resource for those teaching literary criticism and cultural theory. With clear prose and well-written section introductions contextualizing the extracts, the anthology provides a complete overview of theoretical fields while also situating the essays in relationship to each other across the global conversation. The result of Lane’s arrangement is that readers are aware not just of the important essays from key theoretical movements, but are also aware of how these essays address each other and the exigencies of a global sensibility. The Further Reading recommendations that appear at the end of each section make the text familiar to those versed in literary theory and approachable for those who are not. With a study of the framework of humanism at its core, the anthology encourages readers to examine what Lane calls "re-constituted" theory through a global lens. This is a valuable anthology for those looking to revisit the traditional views of literary theory from a global perspective."Dr Corinna McLeod, Grand Valley State University, USA

"Global Literary Theory: An Anthology is a dynamic and illuminating synthesis of the fast moving and diverse field of literary theory. It introduces and subtly contextualizes a wide range of theoretical approaches from Russian formalism to postcolonialism, queer theory and globalization theory while never losing sight of their historical matrix and ongoing dialogue. We are reminded for example that the collapse of English literature's 'civilizing mission' was the catalyst for literary studies replenishment by a variety of transformative and politicized theoretical approaches and that Derridean deconstruction cannot be thought in isolation from his liminal Algerian heritage. Much more than a synopsis, Global Literary Theory is a superb intervention into the ongoing transnational conversation that constitutes contemporary literary theory."Dr Ned Curthoys, Australian National University, Australia