Function Criticism Rad Thk 6 Pa

Thiswide-ranging book argues that criticism emerged in early bourgeoissociety as a central feature of a "public sphere" in which political,ethical, and literary judgements could mingle under the benign rule ofreason. The disintegration of this fragile culture brought on a crisisin criticism, whose history since the 18th century has been fraughtwith ambivalence and anxiety. Eagletonrs"s accountembraces Addison and Steele, Johnson and the 19-century reviewers, suchcritics as Arnold and Stephen, the heyday of Scrutiny and New Criticism, and finally the proliferation of avant-garde literary theories such as deconstructionism. The Function of Criticism isnothing less than a history and critique of the "critical institution"itself. Eagletonrs"s judgements on individual critics are sharp andilluminating, which his general argument raises crucial questions aboutthe relations between language, literature and politics.

Terry Eagleton is Professor of Cultural Theory and John Rylands Fellow, University of Manchester. His other books include Ideology; The Function of Criticism; Heathcliff and the Great Hunger; Against the Grain; Walter Benjamin; and Criticism and Ideology, all from Verso.