Table of Contents

Introduction

SOME BASICS
1. Mimesis
2. Ambiguity
3. Hermeneutics
4. The Classic
5. Intentionalism
6. The Affective Fallacy
7. Narrative / Story
8. Epic
9. Lyric / Prosody
10. Gothic
11. The Translation Paradox

MACHINERY: HOW IT WORKS
12. Culture
13. Milieu
14. Base / Superstructure
15. The Canon
16. Genre
17. Closure
18. Paradigm Shift
19. Ownership
20. Critical Authority
21. Style


LITERATURE'S DEVICES
22. Allegory
23. Irony
24. Imagery
25. Allusion
26. Defamiliarization
27. Bricolage
28. Metafiction
29. Solidity of Specification


NEW IDEAS
30. Structuralism
31. Deconstruction
32. Textuality
33. Double Bind
34. Postmodernism
35. Heteroglossia
36. New Historicism
37. Post-Colonialism
38. Semiology
39. Reception Theory
40. Sexual Politics


WORD CRIMES
41. Plagiarism
42. Obscenity
43. Libel
44. Blasphemy
45. Permissiveness
46. Literary Lies
47. Ghost-Writers


LITERARY FUTURES
48. Fanfic
49. The e-book
50. Literary Inundation

Answers to Quizzes
Glossary

About the Author

John Sutherland, who has been a book columnist for the Guardian and a chair of judges for the Man-Booker prize, is Emeritus Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature at University College London.

Reviews

"I consider John Sutherland one of the finest English-speaking critics at work today. His truly encyclopedic knowledge of literature over the centuries is evident throughout this valuable new book, yet he exhibits his learning without pretension; that is, he really uses what he knows deftly. He opens up the world of literary thinking to the uninitiated in a refreshing way that is thoroughly sound without being intimidating. He's also a terrific writer--witty,
succinct, and clear. In short, this is a brilliant book." --Jay Parini, author of Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America
"How Literature Works is reader-friendly--the writing is personable, intelligent, and informed without being pedantic--and helpful. John Sutherland clearly has vast learning, but he wears it lightly. Both the large concept and the selection of individual ideas that he covers are quite appealing. The book passes what Seamus Heaney calls the 'jealousy test.' Again and again, I found myself thinking, now why didn't I think of this?" --Thomas C. Foster,
author of How to Read Novels Like a Professor
"Superb! You'll never again feel paralyzed over paradigm shifts--in fact, you'll read everything with new enlightenment. Who knew that your beach novel was metafiction!" --Library Journal (Starred Review)