Genre

Genre is a key means by which we categorize the many forms of literature and culture.

But it is also much more than that: in talk and writing, in music and images, in film and television, genres actively generate and shape our knowledge of the world.

Understanding genre as a dynamic process rather than a set of stable rules, this book explores: the relation of simple to complex genres; the history of literary genre in theory; the generic organisation of implied meanings; the structuring of interpretation by genre; and the uses of genre in teaching.

John Frow's lucid exploration of this fascinating concept will be essential reading for students of literary and cultural studies.