A combination of workbook and handbook. Instead of just outlining the discipline of literary studies it helps the student to answer questions about its history and current practice, containing examples from the last 1000 years of writing in English.

`This is a textbook for the times, which addresses itself brilliantly to the twin phenomena of expanding horizons and diminishing resources of English studies.' - David Lodge

'Literary Studies in Action is a 'Student's Guide to English Studies' of a totally new kind. It exposes students to theories, ideas, classifications, terminologies, , but encourages them to question and explore - rather than to accept the paraphernalia of poetics, criticism and theory on trust ... The student will find this a valuable and unique guide.' - Professor Geoffrey Leech, Lancaster University`This book will be welcomed by anyone who thinks that the study of literature has genuine intellectual content, and that students can be trained to discover and solve interesting problems in the study of literary works for themselves.' - Morris Halle, Massachusetts Institute of Technology`Extremely impressive - interesting, original, well done, with many challenging and engaging examples.' - Professor Mary Louise Pratt, Stanford University`This is a text book for the times, which addresses itself brilliantly to the twin phenomena of expanding horizons and diminishing resources of English studies.' - David Lodge`Literary Studies in Action is a `Student's Guide to English Studies' of a totally new kind. It exposes students to theories, ideas, classifications, terminologies, but encourages them to question and explore - rather than to accept the paraphernalia of poetics, criticism and theory on trust ... the student will find this a valuable and unique guide.' - Geoffrey Leech, Lancaster University`Extremely impressive - interesting, original, well done, with many challenging and engaging examples.' - Mary Louise Pratt, Stanford University