An introduction to literature, criticism and theory

Starting at ?The Beginning? and concluding with ?The End?, chapters range from the familiar, such as ?Character?, ?Narrative? and ?The Author?, to the more unusual, such as ?Secrets?, ?Pleasure? and ?Ghosts?. Illuminates complex ideas by engaging directly with literary works, so that a reading of Jane Eyre opens up ways of thinking about racial difference, for example, while Chaucer, Raymond Chandler and Monty Python are all invoked in a discussion of literature and laughter.