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Eagleton’s book is a discussion of literary styles of the twentieth century and covers a variety of literary theories. He explores the topic of literature and offers a determination of how to judge what literature is and what does not fall into this genre. His thorough discussion of the twentieth literary theory includes theorists, models of theory and his opinion on the positive and negative aspects of each.

Lauded as a classic on literary theory, this book leaves the novice reader perplexed and grasping to sort out the author’s point of view. Is there true value in literary criticism or does he think that most of it should be disregarded? A beneficial discussion in the book approaches the question of literature and its definition. Inquirers often ask the academic or avid reader to define what literature truly is and is not. Eagleton’s in-depth introduction discusses this question but does not arrive at a definitive answer articulated in one or two sentences. This discussion does allow the reader to form some type of response when questioned.

As for the actual discussion of literary theory, Eagleton is thorough when setting the stage for a review of the different theories. He begins with a history that he entitles as the “the rise of English.� The subsequent chapters offer a baptism into the religion of literary theory administered by one not-entirely-convinced believer. There are moments in the text when the reader wonders if Eagleton believes in using literary theory or if should be abandoned.

His writing style is dense and he assumes that his reader has foundational knowledge about literary theory. At times, it appears that Eagleton writes to “hear himself talk.� One review listed on the back cover says that both members of the academy and civilians will appreciate Eagleton’s treatment of the subject. Only those civilians who aspire to become members of the academy will be motivated to push through to the end of the book!