' In our era criticism is not merely a library of secondary aids to the understanding & appreciation of literary texts but also a rapidly expanding body of knowledge in its own right' David Lodge This anthology uses extracts from the works of the leading thinkers in the field of literary criticism to introduce the main ideas at the centre of today s literary & cultural debates Each extract begins with an introduction that places the writing in context & ends with suggestions for further reading that will help students research the subject further The new edition has been thoroughly updated & expanded to reflect the latest developments in the field so there is now more coverage of post-colonialism Queer theory & Ecocritical perspectives There are enhanced references to web & electronic sources & a glossary of key terms to help students understand the subject