Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction

Author: Jonathan D. Culler

Rating: ⭐ 3/5

Date Read: 2013/05/08

Pages: 144

Ah, literary conjecture: mostly fanciful, ultimately untenable. Here’s the thing: theories are not interesting qua theories, as their utility lies in making specific, testable predictions. A theory that cannot be falsified is not a good theory (which is why research psychologists are much less interested in what Freud has to say than English professors are).

Anyway, this short introduction is helpful if you want to drop phrases like “intertextuality and discoures on gendering” at a cocktail party. Fair warning: you’ll sound like a pedantic asshat.