Julian Wolfreys Knihy

Literary Theories: A Reader and Guide is the first reader and introductory guide in one volume.

This is a reference guide for students of literary and cultural studies which introduces over 40 of the complex terms, motifs and concepts in literary and cultural theory. It a brief introduction to each concept together with short quotations from the work of key thinkers and critics. schovat popis

In this introduction to the work of Jacques Derrida, Julian Wolfreys challenges the notion that what Derrida does can be turned into a theory for literary interpretation. He questions the belief in a critical methodology called deconstruction which can be applied to literary texts in a programmatic fashion. Wolfreys introduces the reader to the range of Derrida's interests and concerns, while tendering readings, informed by Derrida's thought of canonical and less well-known literary works. He works through considerations of what deconstruction might or might not be, while offering a critical appreciation of the reception of Derrida's work within the institution of literary criticism.

Focusing on the philosophical perspectives surrounding Thomas Hardy's work, this critical analysis delves into his novels and poetry through close textual examination. The book highlights the extensive critical engagement generated by Hardy, positioning him as a significant figure in nineteenth-century literature. It offers insights into the diverse interpretations of his themes and characters, making it a valuable resource for understanding his literary impact.

Julian Wolfreys critiques the conventional view of deconstruction as a critical methodology, proposing instead a series of reorientations to Derrida's texts. Through specific analyses of literary and film works, he explores themes of ethics, politics, and identity, questioning deconstruction's role in academic contexts. Wolfreys emphasizes the importance of reading as an ethical encounter that fosters responsibility toward the other, arguing that this interaction cannot be predetermined and is essential for understanding material and historical contexts.

Exploring the interplay between identity and the supernatural, this work delves into how haunting influences characters and settings within English literature and culture. It examines the psychological and social dimensions of ghostly presences, revealing how they reflect personal and collective traumas. The text analyzes various literary works, highlighting themes of memory, loss, and the search for belonging, while also considering the broader cultural implications of hauntings in shaping narratives and identities.

Exploring the concept of "difference," Julian Wolfreys engages in insightful conversations with thirteen prominent scholars about its significance in their fields and teaching practices. The book examines how the celebration of otherness and opposition has influenced contemporary academic discourse, particularly amidst the rise of identity politics and cultural critique. Through personal reflections, the scholars contribute to a collective understanding of the humanities at a pivotal moment, offering thought-provoking insights into the future of critical thinking and the role of "difference" in shaping intellectual engagement.

Julian Wolfreys starts with loss. All memory is the memory of loss... All that we are, all we experience, all we remember, all that we forget but which leaves nevertheless a trace on us, in us, a trace that countersigns and writes us as who we are (in effect the constellated matrix of Being's becoming): this is a process of loss. This just is loss. Loss is who we are. Loss is authentically the necessary and inescapable inessential essence of Being. Loss names the ghosts, the revenants of Being, Being's others. Neither there nor not there, loss persists as the always already becoming of the thinking of Being. There is more than one loss. There is no one loss. Loss never arrives for a first time. All loss is the return of what is lost to Being's being in the world. From that starting point, the author explores the nature of being and dwelling... of memory and the nature of the traces of the past... of apparition and appearance and perception... of touch and being touched... of the material and the (a)material. ​ In a book that draws in multiple threads from 19th- and 20th-century European literature, he references extensively Heidegger, Derrida, Lacan, Cixous, Celan, Husserl, Woolf, Joyce, Hegel, Badiou, Rilke, Merleau-Ponty, Winterson, Stockhausen and True Detective in an impressive and eclectic tour of the being-becoming-loss.