In the Reading Gaol

In this punning title the central issues of contemporary literary theory compete for attention. The author's contention is that much recent theorizing, in its emphasis on closed texts, solipsistic narratives and the absence of extra-textual reference, has imprisoned reading in a gaol of its own making. Arguing for a reinstatement of presence and reference, he redirects recent theory, including in his analysis an original consideration of theological and hermeneutic background to debates about presence and logocentrism. He examines a series of key texts in this light, including "Tristram Shandy", "Jane Eyre","Middlemarch","Hard Times", "Emma", "Finnegans Wake" and "Heart of Darkness". It is an absorbing and entertaining account of the prison house of criticism. This book is intended for teachers and students of literature and literary theory and as background reading for courses in literary theory and courses in modern novels.