What's in a Text? Inquiries into the Textual Cornucopia

Reviews / Votes

''The primary aim of the authors of this collection was to invite their readers to carefully consider both the richness of text as such and the diversity of text studies, performed by scholars representing various approaches to language and languages, and this goal was accomplished. The publication contains a large amount of data and ideas, satisfying the desires of linguists that may have diverse aims, methodologies and theoretical approaches. The collection is especially welcome for doctoral students of text-related phenomena. The varied geographical background of the contributors gives a reasonably good picture of the nature of text-based research in different parts of Europe.''- Elena Gheorghita, LINGUISTlist, 24.787, 13/02/13."Unusually for a scholarly work, What's In a Text? asks the right question and then goes on to provide answers along several rational dimensions. This is an impressively wide-ranging and inter-disciplinary book from an internationally significant set of contributors. The scope of textuality explored is breath-taking: from Chaucer to Dan Brown, from Beckett to Twilight, from politicians to conversations, dictionaries, ideograms, biblical prophecy and more; there is something here for everyone interested in texts, textuality, reading and rational analysis. The quality of chapters is exceptionally high, and the collision of disciplines mean that the reading is always stimulating and surprising. Even on the margins of your own field, you will find jewels of insight in every chapter."- Prof. Peter Stockwell, Chair in Literary Linguistics, University of Nottingham, UK