I’ve read John Sutherland’s books (my favorite is Henry V, War Criminal? & Other Shakespeare Puzzles) and I scooped up this gem despite the incredibly bland cover. Sutherland defines the literary terms and provides examples of how they could enlighten a reader. What I liked about this approach is Sutherland’s lack of pretension. I emerged from reading How Literature Works with a clearer understanding of some of the more obscure literary concepts (like Heteroglossia). If you’re looking for clarity and insight into current literary theory, this is the best place to start. GRADE: A
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