Reviews for Beyond Deconstruction: The Uses and Abuses of Literary Theory

The average rating for Beyond Deconstruction: The Uses and Abuses of Literary Theory based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-10-13 00:00:00 Sandra Narowitz I skipped chapter 5 entirely - a 50+ page "re-reading of Shakespeare's Sonnets in the light of post-structuralist thought." I wish I had skipped the rest of the book, as well. The only way I got through it was by forcing myself to read ten pages every evening. The lowest point in this steaming pile of garbage is probably the fawning adulation heaped on Paul de Man (one of the shining lights of the discredited and intellectually bankrupt scam that was deconstruction, the book is even dedicated to him), just before he was posthumously exposed as the bigamist, Nazi piece of shit that he was. Why the hell did I waste my time on this?

Review # 2 was written on 2012-02-28 00:00:00 Peter Smith I had to teach this book to a student and I should say that it can be a living nightmare to those who have a limited knowledge of literary theory. Selden has taken for granted that you are aware of all of the literary theories and he feels free to digress or refer to the names of the least known literary theorists, but this book can serve as a satisfactory summary of literary theory for those who have an acceptable knowledge of the literary criticism. For me, the second reading was rather illuminating and enjoyable. I wouldn't recommend it as an introduction to literary theory though.