or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
30 used & new from £6.65
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Beginning theory (third edition): An introduction to literary and cultural theory (Beginnings)
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside another edition of this book

Beginning theory (third edition): An introduction to literary and cultural theory (Beginnings) (Paperback)

by Peter Barry (Author) "It is difficult to understand liberal humanism (that is, the traditional approach to English studies, see the Introduction, pp. 3-4) without knowing something about how..." (more)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
Price: £7.98 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.01 (20%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, November 24? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
24 new from £6.65 6 used from £6.68
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 4 used & new from £17.50
Paperback (Underlining) 24 used & new from £0.49
12 Days of Christmas Sale in Books
12 Days of Christmas Sale in Books
Get up to 65% off some of our top titles. Shop now

Special Offers and Product Promotions

Frequently Bought Together

Beginning theory (third edition): An introduction to literary and cultural theory (Beginnings) + The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Middle Ages Through the Restoration and the Eighteenth Century v. 1 + An Introduction to Literature Criticism and Theory
Price For All Three: £46.56

Show availability and delivery details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

An Introduction to Literature Criticism and Theory

An Introduction to Literature Criticism and Theory

by Dr Andrew Bennett
3.8 out of 5 stars (12)  £13.72
Morality Play

Morality Play

by Barry Unsworth
4.1 out of 5 stars (8)  £5.94
Literary Theory: A Practical Introduction

Literary Theory: A Practical Introduction

by Michael Ryan
3.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £13.49
Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

by Jonathan Culler
4.6 out of 5 stars (7)  £4.79
The Adoption Papers

The Adoption Papers

by Jackie Kay
4.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £5.47
› Explore similar items

Product details

Product Description

Review

'It is no surprise to learn that Beginning theory has already been reprinted nine times. There is no other book that offers such a comprehensive account of the field, combined with thoughtful, detailed exposition of the theoretical approaches under discussion. Far from being a modest survey of contemporary literary theory, it has had a vital role in shaping the way that theory is taught in Britain and North America. --English Association Newsletter


Product Description

Beginning theory has been helping students navigate through the thickets of literary and cultural theory for well over a decade now. This new and expanded third edition continues to offer students and readers the best one-volume introduction to the field.The bewildering variety of approaches, theorists and technical language is lucidly and expertly unravelled. Unlike many books which assume certain positions about the critics and the theories they represent, Peter Barry allows readers to develop their own ideas once first principles and concepts have been grasped.The book has been updated and includes two new chapters, one of which (Literary theory - a history in ten events) innovatively surveys the course of theory, while the other (Theory after 'Theory') maps the arrival of new 'isms' since the second edition appeared in 2002. It covers: Liberal humanism; Structuralism; Post-structuralism and deconstruction; Postmodernism; Psychoanalytic criticism; Feminist criticism; Lesbian/gay criticism; Marxist criticism; New historicism and cultural materialism; Postcolonial criticism; Stylistics; Narratology; Ecocriticism; and, Presentism, Transversal poetics, New aestheticism, Historical formalism, and Cognitive poetics.
See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
It is difficult to understand liberal humanism (that is, the traditional approach to English studies, see the Introduction, pp. 3-4) without knowing something about how English developed as an academic subject. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
(4)
(5)
(2)
(2)
(3)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Beginning theory (third edition): An introduction to literary and cultural theory (Beginnings)
92% buy the item featured on this page:
Beginning theory (third edition): An introduction to literary and cultural theory (Beginnings) 4.7 out of 5 stars (9)
£7.98
Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
3% buy
Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) 4.6 out of 5 stars (7)
£4.79
An Introduction to Literature Criticism and Theory
2% buy
An Introduction to Literature Criticism and Theory 3.8 out of 5 stars (12)
£13.72
The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Romantic Period Through the Twentieth Century v. 2
1% buy
The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Romantic Period Through the Twentieth Century v. 2 4.5 out of 5 stars (2)
£24.99
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Readable., 14 Nov 2000
This review is from: Beginning Theory: Workbook and Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory (Beginnings) (Paperback)
This book is ideal for people moving beyond English A level who want an introduction to the sometimes baffling world of critical theory. All the major theories are covered in a readable fashion, with easy to understand summaries. A must for anyone intending to study English at university.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars A Useful Text, 18 Aug 2006
By Ms. S. E. Baker "sammy22" (uk) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory (Beginnings) (Paperback)
This book has some great summary sections which are invaluable when revising and trying to learn key points of each theory. However Barry does tend to 'waffle' a bit in places, sometimes making it difficult to understand and there are some errors in the book itself. But it is definately worth getting for the summaries alone, but make sure it is supported by another text.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent introduction/refresher course, 22 Sep 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory (Beginnings) (Paperback)
This book provides a great introduction to the world of theory which often confuses first year literature students and puts them off the study of english. It explains, unlike other texts, how the concept of theory emerges. As a postgrad student, I was aware I needed to brush up on the dreaded theory so I picked up this introduction, and was pleasantly surprised. So much more accessible than Rivkin and Ryan!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read.
Useful as a refresher to literary theory and brilliant to refer to during any language course. Very relevant.
Published 3 months ago by Ms. L. N. Marsden

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
As a student at Peter Barry's institution, The University of Wales, Aberystwyth I was pleased to find that one of my own tutors had written an accessible alternative to Rivkin and... Read more
Published on 29 Mar 2006

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars!
Peter Barry's book is very inspiring to read. I have brought many books to help grasp an understanding on literary theory but I have to say none have explained it quite as well as... Read more
Published on 4 Nov 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Beginning Theory
This faithful 'bible' was always my first port of call for all of my critical theory assignments throughout 3 years at university. Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have book for all English students
This is great as a reference book for all English students. It is very accessible and covers so much material, and actually makes it interesting!!
Published on 29 Dec 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to an enormous body of thought.
I found this book very useful as a general overview of areas such as structuralism, poststructuralism, marxist criticism, queer theory etc. Read more
Published on 13 Sep 2001

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 

   

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject













i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.