Description
This introductory volume provides an overview of the history of Literature as a cultural concept, and reflects on the contemporary nature, place and function of what the literary might mean for us today. Literature:
* offers a concise history of the canonic concept of 'literature' from its earliest origins
* illustrates the kinds of theoretical issues which are currently invoked by the term 'literary'
* provides a definition of the 'literary' for the twenty-first century
With Literature Peter Widdowson provides a thought-provoking essay on the contemporary relevance of the 'literary' for students.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 what is ‘Literature’?; Chapter 2 What has ‘Literature’ Been?; Chapter 3 What has Happened to ‘Literature’?; Chapter 4 What is ‘The Literary’?; Chapter 5 The Uses of ‘The Literary’; Chapter 6 Watch this Space;
