What is literary theory? Is there a relationship between literature and culture? In fact, what is literature, and does it matter? These questions and more are addressed in Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction, a book which steers a clear path through a subject which is often perceived to be complex and impenetrable. Jonathan Culler, an extremely lucid commentator and much admired in the field of literary theory, offers discerning insights into such theories as the nature of language and meaning, and whether literature is a form of self-expression or a method of appeal to an audience. Concise yet thorough, Literary Theory also outlines the ideas behind a number of different schools: deconstruction, semiotics, postcolonial theory, and structuralism, among others. From topics such as literature and social identity to poetry, poetics, and rhetoric, Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction is a welcome guide for anyone interested in the importance of literature and the debates surrounding it.

什么是文学理论？文学和文化之间有关系吗？事实上，什么是文学，它又是否重要？这些问题以及更多的问题都将在《文学理论》中得到解决。这本书为这个经常被认为是复杂和难以理解的主题指引了一条清晰的道路。乔纳森-库勒是一位极其清晰的评论家，在文学理论领域备受推崇，他对诸如语言和意义的本质，以及文学是一种自我表达的形式还是一种吸引观众的方法等理论提出了敏锐的见解。文学理论》简明而透彻，还概述了一些不同流派背后的思想：解构主义、符号学、后殖民理论和结构主义等等。从文学和社会身份到诗歌、诗学和修辞学等主题，《文学理论》是一本受欢迎的指南。对于任何对文学的重要性和围绕文学的争论感兴趣的人来说，《文学理论：非常简短的介绍》是一本受欢迎的指南。