Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory: Fourth Edition

This text, in its 4th Ed., remains a highly readable and engaging overview of major critical theories to date that are commonly used in literary analysis. Additionally, Barry provides a bibliography for each chapter and a good index as well. This text would be an affordable and welcome accompaniment for an undergrad literature course incorporating literary theory into its discourse.

I received an MA in English and a JD in the 1970s. Since my retirement, I have been trying to find out what happened while I was busy outside academe. This textbook, written by a British professor for undergraduate students majoring in English, describes exactly how Theory has transformed a discipline once concerned primarily with aesthetics has become (in my words) a subspeciality of political science. I did not get much out of a literary criticism course in graduate school in 1973. Although the author is my contemporaty, I wish I had had a teacher as lucid as Peter Barry.

Used this book for a writing project.

This is a challenging and helpful introduction, beginning but certainly not ending with the "ABCD" cover (stands for Apple-Butler-Cat-Derrida). Exercises and lists galore, and a fearless approach to issues like the difference between "modernism" and "postmodernism." Recommended.

Purchased for a literary theory course beginning in Fall 2021. Based on the Introduction and Chapter 1, I’m excited for the course and believe this book is a great introduction for those who have not studied theory but have an interest.

Used for a class, this is dense material. Hard to understand first time through, but the information help me in multiple English classes when writing essays.

I bought it for classes. The book is a classic, a great introduction to literary theory.The book is in good condition. It’s a nice purchase.

I hadn't been able to purchase this at the start of the college year so the fact it arrived just before Term 2 began was really helpful for revising.

This expanded and revised 4th edition(2017) is an accessible and intellectually stimulating guide to literary and cultural theory.After a brief illuminating introduction there are 15 chapters on: 'Theory before 'theory''; 'Structuralism'; 'Post-structuralism and deconstruction'; 'Postmodernism'; 'Psychoanalytic criticism'; 'Feminist criticism'; 'Queer theory'; 'Marxist criticism'; 'New historicism and cultural materialism'; 'Postcolonial criticism'; 'Stylistics'; 'Narratology'; 'Ecocriticism'; 'Literary theory - a history in ten events' & ''Theory after 'theory''.The book concludes with appendices and a useful further reading list.Peter Barry's 'Beginning Theory' is a clearly written and wide-ranging introduction to an often abstruse subject which should appeal to the general reader as well as students of literary and cultural studies.

The language in this books makes it easy to understand for anyone to get in to it. I will say though it has stark white paper that is sure to give anyone a migrane. But for annotating or highlighting it does help. The paper feels about 160gsm or so. Will survive being bashed about a Uni bag for years to come :)

Breaks down the basics of literary theory into easily readable pieces and makes the process of digesting them far simpler than I worried it might be. Was incredibly helpful when going through my undergraduate degree and now that I'm looking at going back to university to begin post-grad and need to refresh my memory, it's coming in very handy. Easily the best theory book I've come across - all of the others I owned at uni I've sold, but not this one.

This was my go to book when I was learning about literary theory and an invaluable citation for brief explanations and examples. A must have for all University literature students!

1st year English book for uni