Uses of Literature

The diverse motives and mysteries of why we read are explored in this groundbreaking new work by Rita Felski. Challenging many time-worn homilies and theories put forth in contemporary literary criticism, Uses of Literature offers refreshing new insights into the purpose and value of reading literature.
Proposing that the interaction between reader and literature involves four "modes of textual engagement"--recognition, enchantment, knowledge, and shock--the author bridges the gap between literary theory and common-sense beliefs about literature. Wonderfully original and brimming with valuable insights and provocative ideas, Uses of Literature will change the way you think about why you read.

Rita Felski is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of English and Chair of Comparative Literature at the University of Virginia, and an Associate Editor of New Literary History. She is the author of Beyond Feminist Aesthetics, The Gender of Modernity, Doing Time: Feminist Theory and Postmodern Culture, and Literature After Feminism. She is also editor of Rethinking Tragedy.

Acknowledgments vi Introduction 1 1 Recognition 23 2 Enchantment 51 3 Knowledge 77 4 Shock 105 Conclusion 132 Notes 136 Index 146