'British artist and
"Introducing..." veteran Borin Van
Loon's illustrations are intricate and clever, and illuminate the text
without being obtrusive...' [see Reviews below]
- Introducing... Critical Theory -
a graphic guide
Icon Books (UK), Totem books
(USA). Written by Stuart Sim,
Illustrated / designed by Borin Van Loon
The last few decades have seen an explosion in the production of
critical
theories:
deconstructionists,
poststructuraliststs,
postmodernists,
second-wave feminists,
new historicists,
cultural materialists,
postcolonialists,
black critics,
queer theorists...
to name but a few. The world around us can look very different
depending
on the critical theory applied to it. This vast range of
interpretations
can leave one feeling confused and frustrated. Introducing
Critical Theory
provides a route through the tangled jungle of competing theories. It
provides
a context for these recent developments by situating them within the
longer-term
tradition of critical analysis going back to the rise of Marxism. The
essential
methods of each theoretical school are presented in an incisive and
accessible
manner. Special attention is paid to recurrent themes and concerns that
have preoccupied a century of critical activity.
In design terms, the main
feature of each spread in this book is the
use of a simple ruled border at top and right linking three iconic
faces:
square, circular and triangular. The regularity of this feature is
varied
by making the circular face different on each spread (over 80
expessions!),
often interacting with the text. This title embodies much of the whole
'Introducing'
series and therefore many of the portraits of the leading figures:
there
are well over 100 in the book including seven or eight of Karl Marx...
Reviews
I learnt more with this little
comic book than in 3 years of Media Studies at University. Critical Theory was a big part of the course but until now
(14 years later) I can't say I had a clear idea of what it was all
about. Great series, I'm now reading the 'Philosophy' guide of the same
series (albeit in its App form - available for the iPhone/iPod
Touch)and it's proving to be just as good. Paola (September 08 to 22,
2011) www.goodreads.com
For what it is it's a good book. Summarizes
major theories in a single sentence. It definitely is enough to get you
interested in Critical Theory, but I don't have a firm grasp on any of
the theories discussed. It's a primer. Josh Casto (September, 2011) www.goodreads.com
Excellent beginners book, puts things into
place and creates the links between each thinker.
These books can be great at times and at other times dreadful,but this
one is very good. David Williamson (Sep 17, 11) www.goodreads.com
Good overview of a hard subject, March 16, 2011
By C. Fewer (Schererville, IN United
States)
Long before RSA and TED were making names for themselves with clever
animations, Eduardo del Rio was trying to convey the nuances of Marxist
thought to the Spanish-speaking world with the help of potent graphics
and visuals. The format was adapted in English in the 70s by editor
Richard Appignanesi, and expanded to cover many major topics and
figures in philosophy, psychology, and literature. This particular
volume takes on a very broad topic, but the result is a lucid and not
overly simplistic overview of major themes in critical theory. The
author successfully frames various theorists' positions as responses
both to previous thinkers and to their own social and cultural
contexts, which in my view is what beginners most need and what a book
such as this should try to accomplish. Marx emerges as the dominant
figure to which much contemporary theory (directly or indirectly)
responds, and while some would quibble with this representation, there
is at least some truth in it. British artist and "Introducing..."
veteran Borin Van Loon's illustrations are intricate and clever, and
illuminate the text without being obtrusive. A very good volume in the
series overall. [4 stars Amazon.com]
Well Worth the Plunge, May 25, 2010
By Herbert L Calhoun "paulocal" (Falls Church, VA USA)
Trying to read Habermas, Lacan, or even Derrida is like having a root
canal. As a novice, I found almost without exception, the literature
written by these prime movers of critical theory, just short of
impenetrable.
This little book, on the other hand, while presenting its own special
problems (there is no logic to its layout for instance) does provide a
hook for understanding, for people like myself. I now have a reasonable
good lay of the land. So that when I return to the leading writers of
the movement, I will at least then have a fighting chance. In short,
this book provides a crude index, that while not quite a conceptual map
of where the various islands of theoretical development lie (and where
each of the prime movers sit in the scheme of things), does give us a
meandering trip through the major historical developments hitting the
major signposts in a meaningful if not in an always coherent way.
As for overall logic, critical theory, at its deepest level appears to
be a general theory of the use of symbols in the generation of meaning
and knowledge. It is a theory that has come about in a "backward
propagation" sort of way: that is to say, by observing the texts of
literature and subtext of culture and social organization, and how the
various levels "actually work" and then deconstructing the cultural
messages sent and received by the meaning of these text (and
subtexts)-- or said in the vernacular of the theorists themselves: by
"reading the texts back against themselves."
Marx and Freud figure prominently in the development of Critical Theory
as their respective theories were concerned primarily with the subtext
of meanings: Marx's was concerned primarily with the subtext of
economics: the class struggle between the exploiters of labor and those
exploited; while Freud spent most of his time developing a theoretical
map of the "unconscious, arguably responsible for most of our conscious
behavior. In both cases the "unseen" or what is below the waterline
accounts for the lion's share of what happens above water in conscious
"reality." Culture and politics are also areas in which the subtext
dominates from "off stage."
One take away message from the book is that reading the subtext of
culture, politics and economics is not just the heaviest clue as to
where critical theory comes from, but also to where it is headed. It is
very much analogous in its approach to theoretical developments in
abstract mathematics, where pre-mathematical entities such as
transformations and maps have their own deeper logic and are introduced
and understood well before any concrete entities such as numbers are
ever introduced.
The same is true of Critical Theory. Mining the subtext, the
"unconscious," the unseen moving hand in economics," etc. is not just
the main clue but also the main heuristic for pushing forward both
literary and philosophical theories of meaning. The unseen, the
subtext, provides the grist for the criticism mill, as well as keeps
pointing forward to a more general theory of the philosophy of
knowledge and meaning. Like in quantum physics, things become a bit
untidy as one comes closer to the limits, and Literary Criticism
itself, at that point becomes just a side issue (an afterthought)
compared to the fuller philosophical and logical implications of
critical theory as a whole.
Altogether, the book helped put a lot of the things I have read
elsewhere into perspective. Well worth the plunge. [4 stars Amazon.com]
A fascinating and fast read, February 1, 2009
By D. Langston "Yakee" (Washinton D.C.)
This book was fun to read. I liked how easily the author managed to
reduce whole bodies of work into a sentence or two, which is precisely
what I am looking for in these books. I agree with some of the other
reviews here that he seems to dwell on Marxism and his influence, but I
have always wondered why Marxism gets so much attention among
"intellectuals" and this book helps to explain this phenomenon. While I
doubt that this book sums up Critical Theory in its entirety, or even
comes close, it definitely inspires further readings into the subject
(at least it does for me), which is more than I can say for most books.
I look forward to reading it again. [5 stars Amazon.com]
I would say this book is very useful..., May 21, 2008 By Spunk Monkey (The pit of despair)
Reading this book is not going to make you an expert on Foucault or
Lacan- however, if what you are seeking is an idea as to the spectrum
of schools and branches and concerns of "critical theory," or if you're
not even terribly sure what "critical theory" IS, then I suggest you
pick this book up. When I was just getting started, it really helped me
create a "cognitive map" of the field. Basically you get a mapped out
schema of the world of critical theory, with a few tantalizing tidbits
dropped about some of the thinkers- then it is up to you to go out and
get the real books and start reading them. But if you are starting from
nothing, and don't even know what you want to read- Donald Rumsfield's
"Unknown Unknowns," then start reading this book so you can figure out
what your "Known unknowns" are: "I don't know anything about Althusser,
but judging on what I read in this book, I now know that I want to
study him," etc. I have a few other of the "Introducing" books, and,
honestly, the only one I came back to at all frequently was this one.
It does not try to "explain" any particular thinker, but to introduce
you to a field- I think in this regard I think it is sucessful. It is
by no means perfect- for instance, Zizek only gets two teeny little
pages- but, again, it is making various "names" available to you,
various schools, various strands- Frankfurt school, Deconstruction,
Structuralism, Post Marxist, Post Feminist, etc- so that you can go out
and get started. I highly recommend this book. I think it is terrific.
(Plus the illustrations are great fun!) Critical theory can be a
confusing hodge podge of theoretical models- this book will help you on
the path. [5 stars Amazon.com]
Introducing Critical theory, October 10, 2007
By RNN (Spokane, WA USA)
Too often an out of the blue comment was made without a reference to
from either a previous introducing topic or a new topic that one could
use as a base to understand the "out of the blue" new comment.
Critical theory may have had its start with Socialism, but it didn't
seem to have made any progress, other than critiques of Socialism. That
is not what I had previously learned. It seemed to have come further in
its development than just comparing the world to Socialism. [2 stars Amazon.com]
The Good The Bad and some Very Ugly, July 18,
2007 By Martin Asiner "Adjunct College Instructor" (Jersey City,
NJ)
Critical theory is one of those subjects that few study for the sheer
joy of it. Let's face it. Only those who are taking their first course
in UG literary studies will seek out other and more user-friendly texts
that are not replete with the notorious jargon with which they abound.
Unfortunately, one cannot place Stuart Sim's INTRODUCING CRITICAL
THEORY on that short list. Part of the problem is inherent within Sims
himself. Like the vast majority of humanities departments in America,
Sims is an avowed Marxist. Nearly half of his text deals with Marxism
and its many offshoots. If one does not hold that a failed dogma like
Marxism ought to occupy central stage in literature, then one will have
to look elsewhere for competing explanations of alternate theories.
Additionally, as do most Marxists, Sims assumes that any literary
ideology must have a vigorous political agenda. Indeed, he notes that
"We live in political times." Unfortunately, when a critic assumes that
the purpose of criticism is to reach a predetermined end, then a
dispassionate examination of competing ideas goes out the window.
Further, as he proceeds from one school of theory to another, he does
not make a consistent attempt for the reader to get the "big picture"
of how a myriad of theories evolved in a few decades. His strong points
lie in his comic book illustration approach to discuss the all too
short analyses that he does cover. In short, INTRODUCING CRITICAL
THEORY is not much more than a few lame attempts to explicate what is
by its very nature quite nearly inexplicable. [3 stars Amazon.com]
eh, June 15, 2007 By S. Kosloske
(Milwaukee, WI USA)
Maybe it's the boring subject matter, maybe it's the writing style, but
I just couldn't get into this one. [3 stars Amazon.com]
Good for what it is, October 15, 2006
By Christopher (Oregon)
Say you're a professor or someone like that and you've just been to a
conference or you're planning to go to an event like that where at
least some of the people will know something about whatever critical
theory is. and you remember reading some of the stuff some years ago,
but you don't really use the theories much, so you're kind of rusty.
and then you come across this book and start going through the pages
and before you know it an hour has passed, you've finished the book and
your brain is over-activated by the many theoretical memories triggered
by the material. you find yourself not simply repeating what's in the
book, but looking at what you already know with a kind nudge, like an
overheard conversation on an airplane that reminds you of something you
ought to be thinking about. "Theory is power" Mr. Sims helfully reminds
one on page 165. [4 stars]
Not exactly a simple re-phrasing of theories, October 31, 2005
By Athena (Winnipeg)
Unfortunately, this book doesn't make it any easier to understand
various critial theories. It skims over them in a way that requires the
reader to already have a basic understanding of the theories, and it
often explains the theories in the jargon of the theorists. In other
words, it isn't very helpful for those trying to get a handle on
unwieldy theories. It isn't a basic introduction, nor is it for
"dummies." [1 star Amazon.com]
Good Overview - A Starting Point, December 27,
2002 By zift (Molokai, Hawaii, United States)
This book, part of a series (basically "Philosophy for dummies") will
be purchased by stressed-out college students trying to write term
papers for literature class. After getting totally confused by the
impenetrable writing of the great theorists themselves, students will
turn to this book hoping to get some light. The book gives a decent
overview of the major theories, trying to put them in common language,
something the theorists themselves seem incapable of writing in. It
goes so far as to use cartoons to get the points across.
While it will help sort out Deconstruction from Formalism and so on,
don't count on this to save your term paper the night before its due.
There's not enough detail on any of the theories to stand alone, and
they are presented in a strange order. Also, some of the major schools
of criticism (like New Criticism) don't appear. The author is obviously
quite fond of Marxism. Unfortunately, the author also slides into some
of the same kind of mumbo-jumbo as the original theorists themselves.
The idea is still a great one, however. If you read this, then some of
the more specific books that follow (Introducing Lacan, Derrida, etc)
it may help get you started.
Hey, if the alternative is trying to sort through Derrida and Barthes
themselves, then anything has got to be better. [4 stars Amazon.com]
I don't know how good this
would be for a complete beginner, but for me it
was very useful as a map tracing the links between the theorists and
their works. Lots of inspiration for further reading. (5 stars. Leonie)
Just because we use cheats doesn't mean we're not smart. These
books seem like the Cliff's notes to more scholarly material but happen
to far surpass Cliff's notes in coolness because of their graphic
representation. As introductions they are a great way to become
acquainted with the subject(s) that is fun and informative. Some of the
drawings leave a little to be desired, but others are spot on. There's
the rub, but you try drawing some of Derrida or Deleuze and Guattari's
more opaque theory. (5 stars. Sara Willis)
You know those goofy little graphics in the corner of your text books.
. .odd
little cartoons and maps. . .that's pretty much here. . .although many
of the the graphics are of a racier variety than you'll find in a text
book. . .All around helpful. . . There is an index in the back. . so
that when you are reading something else. . something hard. . .you can
cross-reference terms and names to get the general snippets. . .the
whole goofy pictures of smart peoples' faces. ..really helps me a lot.
.. as does the chart laying out the critical theory time-line. . . (5
stars. Sara Gerot)
I was one of those people who would be like, "what the f are these
people talking about???" whenever
I'd here critical theory arguments against things like math, logic,
science, etc. from folks at Cornell. Thanks to this book, I see that
the whole genre or approach is not a total sham, but rather some of its
ideological aggressors (read: students with little understanding of
other approaches). This is a nice visually
stimulating way to be introduced to this world, its giants, and the
historical progression. The only problem is, sometimes the brief
synopses would be written in discipline-specific jargon and warranted
more explanation for a layman. But I guess that has been happening
surprisingly infrequently given the ground covered. We'll see if
anything changes by the end... Okay, now I'm done, and nothing
has
changed. I finished it like a month ago and kind of forget all the
jargon I learned, but I guess the book will be handy if I ever I need
any. (4 stars. Homa)
A good look at a shitty subject. (4 stars.
Neonsolid Solidia)
Reading this book is not going to make you an expert on Foucault or
Lacan- however, if what you are seeking is an idea as to the spectrum
of schools and branches and concerns of "critical theory," or if you're
not even terribly sure what "critical theory" IS, then I suggest you
pick this book up. When I was just getting started, it really helped me
create a "cognitive map" of the field. Basically you get a mapped out
schema of the world of critical theory, with a few tantalizing tidbits
dropped about some of the thinkers- then it is up to you to go out and
get the real books and start reading them. But if you are starting from
nothing, and don't even know what you want to read- Donald Rumsfield's
"Unknown Unknowns," then start reading this book so you can figure out
what your "Known unknowns" are: "I don't know anything about Althusser,
but judging on what I read in this book, I now know that I want to
study him," etc. I have a few other of the "Introducing" books, and,
honestly, the only one I came back to at all frequently was this one.
It does not try to "explain" any particular thinker, but to introduce
you to a field- I think in this regard I think it is sucessful. It is
by no means perfect- for instance, Zizek only gets two teeny little
pages- but, again, it is making various "names" available to you,
various schools, various strands- Frankfurt school, Deconstruction,
Structuralism, Post Marxist, Post Feminist, etc- so that you can go out
and get started. I highly recommend this book. I think it is terrific.
(Plus the illustrations are great fun!) Critical theory can be a
confusing hodge podge of theoretical models- this book will help you on
the path. (3 stars. Alan Scott)
Critical theory
- now
with pictures!If you
have struggled to understand Critical Theory - and who hasn't - then
this book is a great first step. It explains the basics of this
all-encompassing, and sometimes seemingly impenetrable theory - but it
uses illustrations to do it! There are plenty of words as well - of
course - but the illustrations certainly seem to make the learning
easier! If you are a visual learner - like me - it's great, and I
suspect if you are any other kind of learner you will get something out
of it as well. By Peter Coupe (North
Yorkshire)
One of my most
memorable introductions to literature in my youth was the Classic
Comics series. As it turns out, I was not alone in this - many
adults have confirmed that they too developed an initial appreciation
of the world's literary heritage by way of first exposure through
Classic Comics. The idea was such a good one that two groups, one in
the United Kingdom and the other in the United States have used the
same technique to create and publish series of "documentary classic
comics", overviews of ideas and people that summarize conceptual basics
by combining caricature and text. This technique is a "multimedia"
approach to presenting material - by engaging two sensory modalities,
and displaying wit and humour as well as insight, the content is far
more readily absorbed AND remembered.
Each of these books can serve as either an introduction for the novice,
or a review for the acquainted reader. I recommend these books far more
readily than actually going to the originals. Why? As a knowledge
manager, I know that usually the substantive content is actually
contained in less that 20% of an entire document. The rest is
explication, elaboration, and examples - but speaking for myself
personally, I don't need Plato's tour through ancient Athens to get his
central message about the desirability of organizing social life on the
basis of idealism and elitism! If a reader wants follow-up after that,
by all means go to the originators or their epigones, but I am looking
for concepts that are relevant to present circumstances, with a minimum
of extraneous details...
Off to read English
Literature at University?
As the beginning of the first university term of the academic year is
fast approaching, it seemed a good moment to blog about these nifty
little tomes. Publishers Icon have a series of 'Introducing ...' guides which make
an excellent starting point for getting your head around literary
theory as an undergraduate. They are graphic guides not unlike the '...for beginners' series and as
such provide a visual representation of the complexities of theory. I
have been sent three to review, Critical
Theory, Foucault and Freud, but there is an enormous
range of use to anyone wrestling with literary or cultural theory
including Postmodernism, Derrida, Marxism etc.
Literary theory can be such a shock to the system: after A levels
enjoying Shakespeare or Jane Austen, the convoluted dryness of this
kind of non-fiction can seem contrary to what drew you to study
literature in the first place. Literary or cultural theory
is complex and nothing is going to make it simple, but these
guides provide another way into the subject, another means of
contriving hooks on which to hang all the new information with which
you are bombarding your brain. Introducing Critical Theory: A
Graphic Guide by Stuart Sim and Borin van Loon roughly
takes one concept per page or double spread and attempts to summarise
it. There are cartoons and other graphics but the sentences used are no
shorter than standard theorizing I'm afraid! One of the wonderful
things I first discovered inside is a family tree of cultural and
critical theories from the Enlightenment to the late twentieth century.
This is the first time I have seen anything or anyone render so
neat the relationships between, for example, J F Lyotard, 2nd
wave feminism, the French Revolution, neuro-psychiatry,
postcolonialism, Umberto Eco, Utopian socialism, Russian formalism and
so on. As to the rest it is truly a dip-in style of book with intense
compact segments of information...
... I also found Introducing
Critical Theory: A Graphic Guide excellent as a
refresher having not read much theory over the last few years. It
is a neat reference book having a good glossary and a rather shorter
index which gets you to the heart of each concept very quickly. As such
I would have been glad of it as I embarked on my MA too.
Catherine Hawley, who has a degree in English from the University of
Sheffield and an MA on the Eighteenth Century novel, runs
www.clhawley.co.uk online bookshop. (http://juxtabook.typepad.com/books/2009/09/off-to-read-english-literature-at-university.html)
This books is best for those who are
new to
Intercultural Study, it is
all
embracing. (http://zerosbook.org)
This
book, part of a series (basically "Philosophy for dummies")
will be purchased by stressed-out college students trying to write term
papers for literature class. After getting totally confused by the
impenetrable
writing of the great theorists themselves, students will turn to this
book
hoping to get some light. The book gives a decent overview of the major
theories, trying to put them in common language, something the
theorists
themselves seem incapable of writing in. It goes so far as to use
cartoons
to get the points across. While it will help sort out Deconstruction
from
Formalism and so on, don't count on this to save your term paper the
night
before its due. There's not enough detail on any of the theories to
stand
alone, and they are presented in a strange order. Also, some of the
major
schools of criticism (like New Criticism) don't appear. The author is
obviously
quite fond of Marxism. Unfortunately, the author also slides into some
of
the same kind of mumbo-jumbo as the original theorists themselves. The
idea
is still a great one, however. If you read this, then some of the more
specific
books that follow (Introducing Lacan, Derrida, etc) it may help get you
started.Hey, if the alternative is trying to sort through Derrida and
Barthes
themselves, then anything has got to be better. [4 star review] (http://www.fetchbook.info)
Critical
Thinking
During my time at university, Critical Theory was largely attributed to
the Frankfurt School. But a recent reference suggested a broader base,
so
just to check it out I bought Sim's introduction. Sure enough, the
contributors
to Critical Theory has been far more extensive (and varied) that I had
originally
been led to believe. What Critical Theory turns out to be is a network
of
concepts, covering a wide spectrum of positions, often with
contradictory
perspectives on the many issues and ideas involved. One fruitful way of
describing it, is as the historical inheritor of what Destutt de Tracy
tried
to create as a science of ideas just after the French Revolution (the
study
of which he named Ideology). Critical Theory is a succession of
deconstructions
of prevalent ideas, always with the objective to reveal their
implications
and debunk their pretensions. An interesting technique, but prone by
some
practitioners to McLuhan's Reversal Effect, wherein the tendency to
push
methods to extremes will undermine their early accomplishments. So Sim
urges
balance and caution - a wise piece of advice for the application of
every
technique. 'Illustrating concepts' by William Sheridan (http://www3.sympatico.ca/cypher/concepts.htm)
-
Introducing... Critical Theory -
a graphic guide
