Have you heard the terms structuralism and deconstruction and postmodernism but aren’t really sure they mean? Have you taken a whole course on literary criticism but still feeling lost? Here’s the book you need to sort it all out—and enjoy doing so!

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In Literary Theory For Beginners, Professor Mary Klages takes you into her classroom, cuts through the jargon, explains the ABCs (and the DEFs as well) in terms you can get your head around. Her wit, her unique skills as a teacher, and the delightful illustrations of Frank Reynoso help us understand why literature matters, how it affects us, and how it reflects history, culture, and diversity. Here are ways of thinking about literature, not just reading it—methods of study and frameworks of interpretation from classical humanism all the way up to psychoanalysis, gender and queer theory, race, postcolonialism, and, yes, postmodernism. So sit back, relax, and learn!