This text has been written for the student advancing into the study of literature at university, and is designed to give basic information on the concepts and methods of literary criticism. While pitched at Stage 1 students, it should prove equally useful for senior high school students, as well as for those who are pursuing a degree in English literature at higher undergraduate stages. Specifically, it bridges the gap between coursebooks relating to the Year 12 and 13 syllabus and the more specialized texts prescribed in university courses. For this reason, high school teachers will also find it an invaluable resource.
Alistair Fox is Professor of English at the University of Otago. An internationally recognized Renaissance scholar, his past publications includeThe English Renaissance: Identity and Representation in Elizabethan England, Reassessing the Henrician Age: Politics and Reform 1500–1550 andThomas More: History and Providence. More recently, Professor Fox has been writing on contemporary New Zealand culture, withThe Ship of Dreams being his first book-length foray into the field of New Zealand literature.