English in Practice: In Pursuit of English Studies

Description

English literature is not what it was. Of course, it never was a fixed entity but the last twenty to thirty years of the 20th century witnessed wholesale change not only in approaches to the subject but also to its very boundaries. That there is literature in English worth reading that is not English literature seems blindingly obvious but only comparatively recently has the syllabus come to recognize it. Indeed, more broadly the traditional canon of "great" literature has been supplemented in ways that have eroded the notion of a canon altogether. Concurrently, the arrival of theory has consigned to oblivion the innocent "objectivity" of literary criticism. So what is English? In this book Peter Barry examines the practice of studying English, and the theory underlying that practice. He indicates how almost everything but the name of the discipline has changed during its short lifetime. He explores the core activities involved in "doing" English today, and looks at, as well as beyond, the close reading of the texts. He guides the reader through some of the most contested issues in the subject and surveys areas that have newly come under the banner of "English".

Peter Barry has taught English at every level - in primary and secondary schools, in further and higher education colleges, and at universities. He was at the former LSU College, Southampton, from 1980 to 1995, and moved in that year to his present post at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He has been co-editor of English (the journal of the English association) since 1988, and reviews and poetry editor since 1995, and he is also an advisory member of the executive of the association. His previous books include Contemporary British Poetry and the City (Manchester University Press, 2000), and the academic best-seller Beginning Theory (2nd edition Manchester University Press, 2002). He also co-edits the Beginnings series for MUP.

I cannot imagine a beter way for a student of English to start his or her studies than by reading English in Practice. The best thing about Peter Barry's book is that issues of fundemental importance are introduced by means of detailed examples, so that the student reader never need feel lost or out of his or her depth. But at the same time it is a book that forces the reader to think rather than merely to absorb facts and opinions. Lecturers who prescribe this book will surely find that they spend less time introducing basic issues and more time continuing and deepening an exploration that Barry has initiated so effectively. This is a book that will charge a student's intellectual batteries - and probably re-charge those of his or her lecturers. Jeremy Hawthorn, Professor of English, Norwegian U The great strength of Peter Barry's English in Practice is its rare combination of common sense and personal, even idiosyncratic judgement as to the value of studying English. Marjorie Perloff, Sadie Dernham Patek Professor Em Students will find Barry's style clear, honest and informative. Times Higher Education Supplement