<em>How Literature Works</em> is an indispensable book for any reader seeking a greater appreciation of their favorite novel, poem, or play. It offers a lively and straightforward guide to literary thinking. With a series of compact essays, the renowned literary critic John Sutherland--widely admired<br>for his wit and clear reasoning--strips away the obscurity and pretension of literary study. His book offers concise definitions and clear examples of the fifty concepts that all book lovers should know.<br><br>It includes basic descriptive terms (ambiguity, epic), the core vocabulary of literary culture (genre, style), and devices employed by authors (irony, defamiliarization). More broadly, <em>How Literature Works</em> explores the animating concepts behind literary theory (textuality, sexual politics), traces<br>the forces that impact literature's role in the real world (obscenity, plagiarism), and grapples with the future of reading (fanfic, e-book). <br><br>For any reader who wants to get the most out of the literature they read, Sutherland's short sharp book will both inform and delight.<br> Read Less