Criticism

Every time we comment on an artefact, whether a poem, a play, a painting, a novel or a piano concerto, we are acting as critics, making our own judgements and interpretations.

Among the most fundamental of human intellectual activities, criticism offers a starting point for many of our journeys towards understanding.

Focusing particularly on stories, plays and poems, 'Criticism' traces the central concepts and controversies in criticism, from Plato to Derrida, and from Romanticism to the death of the author.

In the process, it reflects on criticism itself, the possibilities and options that confront casual readers, as well as reviewers, members of reading groups, students and teachers of English.