The Cambridge Introduction to Literature and the Environment

Thedegradingenvironmentoftheplanetissomethingthattoucheseveryone.Thisbookoffersanintroductoryoverviewofliteraryandculturalcriticismthatconcernsenvironmentalcrisisinsomeform.Bothasawayofreadingtextsandasatheoreticalapproachtoculturemoregenerally,'ecocriticism'isavariedandfast-changingsetofpracticeswhichchallengesinheritedthinkingandpracticeinthereadingofliteratureandculture.Thisintroductiondefineswhatecocriticismis,itsmethods,argumentsandconcepts,andwillenablestudentstolookattextsinawhollynewway.Boxedsectionsexplainkeycriticaltermsandcontemporarydebatesinthefieldwith'hands-on'examplesandcomparisons.TimothyClark'sthoughtfulapproachmakesthisanidealfirstencounterwithenvironmentalreadingsofliterature.