Not too long ago, literary theorists were writing about the death of the novel and the death of the author; today many are talking about the death of Theory. Theory, as the many theoretical ism's (among them postcolonialism, postmodernism, and New Historicism) are now known, once seemed so exciting but has become ossified and insular. This iconoclastic collection is an excellent companion to current anthologies of literary theory, which have embraced an uncritical stance toward Theory and its practitioners. Written by nearly fifty prominent scholars, the essays in Theory's Empire question the ideas, catchphrases, and excesses that have let Theory congeal into a predictable orthodoxy. More than just a critique, however, this collection provides readers with effective tools to redeem the study of literature, restore reason to our intellectual life, and redefine the role and place of Theory in the academy.
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 9780231134170
Number of pages: 736
This is a splendid anthology that evaluates, puts into perspective and thoughtfully criticizes contemporary literary and cultural theory. A welcome alternative to dogmatic thought, this book is designed to generate a lively debate. A must for every serious student of literature and culture. -- Thomas Pavel, University of Chicago, author of The Spell of Language: Poststructuralism and Speculation Patai and Corral's Theory's Empire represents the invigorating leading edge of a new diversity of thought in the academy, the vision of a healthy skeptical approach to what has become theoretical orthodoxy and dogmatism. -- Jon Erickson, Ohio State University, author of The Fate of the Object: From Modern Object to Postmodern Sign If you never quite believed that thought is the same as action, that fact is irrelevant, that declaration amounts to proof, or that cultures rather than individuals compose works of art, you will discover in Theory's Empire why you are neither deluded nor delusional. Theories may help scholarship seem relevant, but they are no substitute for empirical evidence, logical argument, and plain old common sense. -- Mary Lefkowitz, Wellesley College, author of Not Out Of Africa: How Afrocentrism Became AnExcuse To Teach Myth As History. Superb introductions, guaranteed to stir every reader dejected by deconstruction. Library Journal Clearly, this is not your father's textbook; it's closer to The Norton Anthology of Screw-the Academy -- Michael Potemra National Review A sign that things may be changing...its 47 contributors patiently dissect all aspects of theory. -- James Seaton Wall Street Journal Theory's Empire is important because it shows that the opposition to theory is not just the preserve of intellectual lightweights. -- William Pannapacker Chronicle of Higher Education This is a valuable book for scholars and for those encountering literary theory for the first time... Recommended. Choice Theory's Empire is a unique documentation of an intellectual deformation that still affects the way literature is studied. -- Brian Vickers, A 2005 Book of the Year Times Literary Supplement Patai and Corral waste no time and pull no punches. -- Michael Berube Common Review Theory's Empire offers a powerful retrospective on the rise of "Theory" in the American academy. -- Sara Castro-Klaren Modern Language Notes
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