本书属于文学理论入门书，分章介绍了巴赫金对话理论、结构主义、女性主义、马克思主义文学理论、读者反应理论、精神分析、解构主义、后结构主义、新历史主义、文化唯物主义、后殖民理论、同性恋研究/“怪异”理论、文化研究与后现代主义等文学文化研究的主要理论范畴与流派。各章以理论概述开头，而后选取该理论领域的名家名篇，结合问题进行深入系统讲解，既讲理论与方法也讲实际应用。每章末还有供读者自学的思考题和加评注的参考文献，书末列有术语索引。

 Alternative Contents

 Preface and Acknowledgements

 Abbreviations of Works Cited

 Julian Wolfreys: Introduction

1 R. Brandon Kersbner: Mikhail Bakhtin and Bakhtinian criticism

 Notes towards a reading of A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man

 Questions for further consideration

 Annotated bibliography

 Supplementary bibliography

2 K. M. Newton: Roland Barthes and structuralist criticism

 Notes towards a reading of Middlernarch

 Questions for further consideration

 Annotated bibliography

 Supplementary bibliography

3 Ruth Robbins: Will the real feminist theory please stand up?

 Notes towards readings of Middlemarch and Mrs Dalloway

 Questions for further consideration

 Annotated bibliography

 Supplementary bibliography

4 Moyra Haslett: The politics of literature: marxist literary theories

 Notes towards a reading of Mrs Dalloway

 Questions for further consideration

 Annotated bibliography

 Supplementary bibliography

5 Martin McQuillan: There is no such thing as reader-response theory

 Notes towards a reading of Mrs Dalloway

 Questions for further consideration

 Annotated bibliography

 Supplementary bibliography

6 Jill Barker: The self, the other and the text: psychoanalytic criticism

Notes towards a reading of The Tempest

Questions for further consideration

Annotated bibliography

Supplementary bibliography

7 Julian Wolfreys: Deconstruction, what remains unread

Notes towards a reading of In Memoriam A.H.H.

Questions for further consideration

Annotated bibliography

Supplementary bibliography

8 Mark Currie: Criticism and creativity: poststructuralist theories

Notes towards a reading of Mrs Dalloway

Questions for further consideration

Annotated bibliography

Supplementary bibliography

9 John Brannigan: History, power and politics

 in the literary artifact: new historicism

Notes towards readings of The Tempest and In Memoriam A.H.H.

Questions for further consideration

Annotated bibliography

Supplementary bibliography

10 John Brannigan: Conflict and contradiction: cultural materialism

Notes towards readings of The Tempest and In Memoriam A.H.H.

Questions for further consideration

Annotated bibliography

Supplementary bibliography

11 Gall Ching-Liang Low and Julian Wolfreys: Postcolonialism

 and the difficulty of difference

Notes towards readings of The Tempest and

 The Swimming-Pool Library

Questions for further consideration

Annotated bibliography

Supplementary bibliography

12 Jane Goldman and Julian Wolfreys: Works on the Wild(e) side -

 performing, transgressing, queering: gay studies/queer theories

  Notes towards a reading of The Swimming-Pool Library

Questions for further consideration

Annotated bibliography

Supplementary bibliography

13 Kenneth Womack: Theorizing culture, reading ourselves:

 cultural studies

Notes towards readings of The Swimming-Pool Library

 and Prospero's Books

Questions for further consideration

Annotated bibliography

Supplementary bibliography

14 Arkady Plotnitsky: Postmodernism and postmodernity."

 literature, criticism, philosophy, culture

  Notes towards a reading of The Tempest

Questions for further consideration

Annotated bibliography

Supplementary bibliography

  Glossary

  Notes on Contributors

  Index of proper names