Lois Tyson

I had to read this book for my class on Literary Theory. The book did a good job at presenting each theory in a semi-simple way. I didn't necessarily agree with everything in the book. For example, I didn't always agree with Tyson's applications of the theories to the novel The Great Gatsby. So, overall, I would say the book is helpful. I think, in the end, I didn't really enjoy the topic of Literary Theory, and I struggled a lot with the topic.

Useful for an introduction to all the major critical theories, but many of the chapters were a little too advanced for an undergraduate English course. I would have appreciated it more if it was simplified some.

A very good overview of approaches to literature, from psychoanalysis to Marxist to Feminist to New Criticism to Deconstruction to New History and Cultural criticism. Tyson not only explains the theories and terminology, but gives the reader some of the foremost critics and uses Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby to exemplify each approach in essays.

Summary: Finally, a useful guide for the 11 critical theories most used to analyze literature today! This book explicitly details each critical theory from African American criticism down to reader-response criticism.

Use and appropriateness in a HS classroom (teacher and student material): This is a guide that teachers can use to educate both themselves and share with their students. Imagine that! While some segments meander a bit, teachers can easily pick and choose theories to discuss and show more photocopy the necessary pages to hand out for student reading. However, this is a book that would probably be too complex for low-level students to read. In this case, a lesson with much rewording might be necessary. Whether or not the teacher gives students copies of the text to read, what is best about using this text is that students will be aware that they are not just analyzing a text randomly, but will have the knowledge that they are using a critical theory that will be important to know in college as well. show less