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A review by shaunnow38
Marxism and Literary Criticism by Terry Eagleton
4.0
This was not my first foray into Marxist criticism, but I feel that it should have been. Eagleton's introduction to Marxism and literary criticism was completely readable, and lacked the problematic pretensions often associated with literary criticism. This is not to say that the work lacks intricacy or depth, merely that it strives to be a clear explanation of the various strands of criticism.
Especially interesting are the first and last chapters, where Eagleton dives in depth into the historical nature of a Marxist critique/understanding of literature. This includes both the content and the production itself, allowing a reader to understand the conscious and unconscious labor put into the creation of a literary work. These are perhaps the most accessible sections of the work as well.
The third chapter, on commitment is decidedly more difficult and lodged in theory, as it piggybacks somewhat off the discussion of Hegelian philosophy and conflicting theoretical stances effecting Marxist criticism. This means that there is a lot of technicality to the arguments that Eagleton is attempting to illuminate, from which he is attempting to tease out complexity and depth of meaning while remaining out of academic drudgery.
My knowledge of the conflicts and contradictions of Marxist criticism has been enhanced greatly by this book, as well as my grasp of how Marxist economic/social theories can be applied to literature. The importance of history to Marx and his thoughts has always been apparent to me, but seeing how the various theories on how that plays into literary theory and production has been truly enjoyable.
Especially interesting are the first and last chapters, where Eagleton dives in depth into the historical nature of a Marxist critique/understanding of literature. This includes both the content and the production itself, allowing a reader to understand the conscious and unconscious labor put into the creation of a literary work. These are perhaps the most accessible sections of the work as well.
The third chapter, on commitment is decidedly more difficult and lodged in theory, as it piggybacks somewhat off the discussion of Hegelian philosophy and conflicting theoretical stances effecting Marxist criticism. This means that there is a lot of technicality to the arguments that Eagleton is attempting to illuminate, from which he is attempting to tease out complexity and depth of meaning while remaining out of academic drudgery.
My knowledge of the conflicts and contradictions of Marxist criticism has been enhanced greatly by this book, as well as my grasp of how Marxist economic/social theories can be applied to literature. The importance of history to Marx and his thoughts has always been apparent to me, but seeing how the various theories on how that plays into literary theory and production has been truly enjoyable.