Rating: 
Summary: This is the one I recommend to my students
Review: As a literature professor, I have a professional responsibility to know about literary theory. And let's face it: it's a pretty scary and complex subject, feared by many and mastered by few. In fifteen years in the business, I have read many books about lit crit and literary theory, and Peter Barry's book is BY FAR the best. It is, indeed, "only" an introduction to the subject, rather than an advanced study, but it is brilliantly clear, and blessedly jargon-free.
Barry writes as though his readers are new to the subject, but bright and curious. And he delivers the goods! This is the book I refer to when in doubt, and the book I encourage my graduate students to purchase. I would recommend anyone who is pursuing graduate study in the humanities to own and carefully read this book. If you read this one carefully, you won't need any of the other intro-to-lit-crit books on the market, which simply don't measure up.
Rating:
Summary: excellent introduction to theory
Review: Barry gives a concise overview of contemporary literary and cultural theory, taking a look at structuralism, postmodernism, postcolonial theory, etc. Eminently readable, the volume explains these theories without oversimplifying them. Those mystified by the jargon of contemporary theory will find here a useful guide.
Rating:
Summary: A book on literary theory that isn't pretentious? How odd!
Review: Literary theory tends to have a strange effect on writers. Look at the the title of this book:"Beginning Theory" Notice that it isn't "Beginning Literary Theory" or "Beginning Cultural Theory". Can you imagine a subject where the academics involved are so conceited that they believe that their theory is so self-evidently more valuable than any other, that henceforth it 'need not speak its name' and is to be known as 'theory'. This odd effect also licenses the writers of 'theory' to write in a manner which erects formidable defences against any reader who is unprepared to surrender gracefully in the face of overwhelming unintelligibility. This book simply fails to deliver on the unintelligibility front, its simple helpful style leading the reader to the unmistakeable conclusion that the rest of the books on this subject are written equally accessibly. They are not. If this book were written by a true literary theory devotee, it would have been shortened further still, to "Beginning". Pretentious? All the more reason to buy this book, it cuts through the usual mystification like a scythe, leaving even the likes of Derrida in a more explicable state. Up until I read this book, I believed that literary theorists (sorry for leaving the word 'literary' in) were utterly incapable of stringing together a sentence without it drifting off into something whose meaning was far too precious to be contaminated by such banal things as understanding. A real nightmare awaits many who are inspired by this book, because they will find almost every other book on the subject not only harder to read, but much less fun.
Rating:
Summary: The best introduction to the topic.
Review: Most books that style themselves as "introductions" to literary theory fall short of their promise, often resorting to the same jargon the novice is trying to decipher or operating on the assumption that the reader already has a background in the field (which would preclude the need for an "introduction"). This is the main flaw with Terry Eagleton's much used "Literary Theory: An Introduction," which is as obscurantist as it is lucid. Peter Barry's "Beginning Theory," on the other hand, is the ideal primer for theoretical studies and is, bar none, the least polemical and most straightforward introduction to critical theory yet written. Barry takes the reader step-by-step through most of the significant areas of literary theory (passing over reception theory and substituting an analysis of liberal humanism for the New Criticism), explaining their basic theoretical foundations carefully and clearly, with an emphasis on understanding through example rather than unfocused summary. He provides basic examples of what critics try to do when they apply certain methodologies and then demonstrates the methods himself with short analyses. If you have absolutely no background in critical theory, this book is the place to begin. Barry is painstaking without insulting the reader's intelligence. In short, if you're looking for a readable, thorough examination of the main trends of critical theory, "Beginning Theory" is the best starting point available.
Rating:
Summary: For the faint of heart
Review: Not too keen on studying theory? Find yourself feeling a little sick at having to take on the likes of Foucault and Derrida? Wishing there was an easier to way to grasp theory? Read this book. It is wonderfully readable and accessible, and refuses to be condescending to those of us who must study theory but would prefer not to. This is not only informative, but useful.
Rating:
Summary: For the faint of heart
Review: Not too keen on studying theory? Find yourself feeling a little sick at having to take on the likes of Foucault and Derrida? Wishing there was an easier to way to grasp theory? Read this book. It is wonderfully readable and accessible, and refuses to be condescending to those of us who must study theory but would prefer not to. This is not only informative, but useful.
Rating: 
Summary: Label and content coincide
Review: This book addresses all of us that are new to literary theory but want to bring light to the matter. It covers main stream ideas such as liberal humanism, structuralism, psychoanalytic criticism, cultural materialism and even a hint of what stylistics is all about. Its goal is ambitious and in many respects it delivers too broad of an overview. However, Beginning Theory is a surprinsingly easy reading and a good intro to the above mentioned concepts. Each chapter offers a summary of key elements and terms as well as questions and useful pinpointers for further reading thus making reading a dynamic and stimulating experience.
Rating:
Summary: Label and content coincide
Review: This book addresses all of us that are new to literary theory but want to bring light to the matter. It covers main stream ideas such as liberal humanism, structuralism, psychoanalytic criticism, cultural materialism and even a hint of what stylistics is all about. Its goal is ambitious and in many respects it delivers too broad of an overview. However, Beginning Theory is a surprinsingly easy reading and a good intro to the above mentioned concepts. Each chapter offers a summary of key elements and terms as well as questions and useful pinpointers for further reading thus making reading a dynamic and stimulating experience.
Rating:
Summary: A guided tour by an experienced and entertaining teacher
Review: This is not some dry academic tome, but is an approachable work with a fresh style. Although I read this outside of the classroom, and both enjoyed and benefited from it, as an experienced instructor, Peter Barry is actually providing a textbook . Each theory includes a 'Stop and Think' section that contains questions which zero in on its essential aspects or weaknesses. Major theorists are discussed and they are placed into a historical and cultural context. Each theory has a concise list of bullet points on what critics of that school actually do, or how they interpret literary works. The chapters conclude with lists of recommended readings, including annotations on their significance and how best to read or approach them. He does a marvelous job of placing literary theory into a context as the most recent series of attempts to answer questions that have been ongoing at least since Victorian times. The introduction is perhaps the most important part of the book. While someone highly familiar with a particular theory may wish to skip the corresponding chapter, I recommend reading the first chapter. It has helpful advice on critical reading skills, and especially useful suggestions on how to effectively approach a new theory. The second chapter, "Liberal Humanism," is basically a discussion of what critics do who do not partake of a particular theory, which is the historical background against which the theorists are reacting. This chapter is also essential reading, as it concludes with a discussion of recurrent ideas that are common across most literary theories. He sums them up as 1) politics is pervasive, 2) language is constitutive, 3) truth is provisional, 4) meaning is contingent, and 5) human nature is a myth. He suggests that any reader having difficulty grasping a particular theory review this list, as most theory concepts turn out to be some variation of one of these ideas. My feelings about literary theory are complex and ambivalent. It certainly seems like a tailor-made job security program for uninspired academics (especially Deconstruction). Choosing a career with constant pressure to publish or perish, the appeal of a discipline that accepts completely fanciful interpretations of other's works as legitimate research is undeniable. Even worse, theory is often used to promulgate social and political agenda under the guise of scholarship. In spite of these negative tendencies, several literary theories actually make a certain sense to me, and each of them offers useful insights when carefully applied and not treated as a religious or moral imperative. I encourage the skeptic to read this book also-one doesn't need to accept the validity of each theory in order to benefit from their recognition The subtitle of "Beginning Theory" includes the words "literary and cultural theory." While Barry concentrates on the literary aspects, the theories he presents are certainly widely applied in much contemporary writing. A level of cultural literacy necessary to fully appreciate the Book Review supplement of major newspapers requires at least nodding familiarity with their concepts and major proponents. The popular understanding of many of the 'isms' of our day, such as 'racism', 'sexism', 'colonialism', certainly have philosophical roots in Marxist criticism. Post-modern critical ideas are widely applied in cultural situations, and like a dead fish, Freudian interpretation always seems to be floating on top of the water. The philosophical and social ideas influenced by these theories are widespread, and are certainly not limited to obscure academic journals on literary criticism-I've concluded that whether I agree with the ideas or not, they are part of an essential cultural vocabulary. (Undoubtedly, the proponents of any particular theory are much harsher on competing theories than any of the readers of this book will be.) Given my morbid fascination with literary theory, perhaps it isn't surprising that I found this an exciting book. Barry has written what is effectively the Guide Michelin for literary theory. This is an excellent starting point for a difficult topic, and the author's lucid discussion of complex ideas is brilliant. Although his personal opinions occasionally appear in the form of his wry wit, his playful approach to competing theories is relatively open-minded, helping the reader discover both their advantages and internal inconsistencies. This book is well-written, informative, and an excellent resource. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: A Sound Introduction, Lacking in Breadth
Review: This is the first introductory book I've read on literary or cultural theory, although I have had a brief exposure to some cultural theory from anthropological readings. The great reviews of this work (and its availability at the library) made it my first choice. Barry does a good job of concisely explaining the principles, key figures, and key concepts of some leading types of theory. He also does an excellent job of working examples of applying a theory and its practices to literature. Each chapter also has a list of 'what critics do,' a handy step-by-step that would doubtlessly be very useful for anyone needing to apply a theory to a reading with a less than stellar command.However, the title is misleading: in my opinion, there is very little about culture in this book. I saw no inkling of the perspectives on these theoretical approches I've been exposed to anthropologically; in fact, I'm beginning to wonder if only the names are the same. I would've liked at least some tie to culture, if only in terms of what theory means for culture, or its cultural implications. There was no solid discussion or example of theory in a cultural context. The second beef I have with the book is its lack of breadth, a lack of depth in some important areas. First, the reader is left to imagine the utility or purpose of each theory. Although we're given a set of rules for its application, and a quick introduction to its precepts, Barry completely avoids the questions of 'What does this mean?,' whether politically, culturally, or simply in terms of utility. I frequently found myself wondering why anyone bothered with some of these viewpoints at all. Perhaps this is a symptom of theory, rather than Barry's book, but I would have liked an introduction that tackled these issues. Secondly, and I suppose necessarily in an introduction, I found many of the chapters lacking in philosophical (and theoretical) depth. In the chapter on psychoanalytical criticism, for instance, Barry's discussion of Lacan and Lacanian criticism left me wondering what Lacan's purpose was: clearly he wasn't just a literary critic, and clearly he must have had some point and objective outside of simply allowing criticism to adopt a particular perspective. There is no inkling of his motivations, purposes, or perspectives, just a trite guide of how to apply a few handy precepts to your reading of literature. In summary: this feels like a completely practical guide to theory, which seems to me paradoxical. If you're looking for an introduction focusing on literary criticism, particularly on its step-by-step application to readings, this will prepare you quickly and accurately. If you're interested in the theory or philosophy of literary theory, theory's implications, or cultural theory: so was I. My plan is to keep looking.
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