Yearbook of Comparative Criticism, Vol. 8: Theories of Literary Genre (Yearbook of Comparative Criticism, V. 8)

The problem of literary genre and the theories dealing with it concern some of the most central and significant questions of literary criticism as well as of literary history. It is not only one of the oldest, but also one of the most genuinely literary principles of order in literary studies. There seems however, to be little agreement on how to use the concept of genre to create such order. Indeed, the concept of genre itself has been repeatedly questioned by recent criticism.

This book contains a comparative cross section of essays that offer different opinions and viewpoints on theories of literary genre. Rather than dealing with the detailed problems inherent in various concepts of specific historical kinds of literature—elegy, hymn, ode—the chapters are concerned with basic general categories such as poetry and fiction. They examine the possibilities and limitations of their usefulness as well as the theories underlying their history and structure.

An attempt is made to inform about the most important basic theories put forth by the different schools of thought in generic criticism.