Wednesday, 6 November 2013

Very Short Introductions

Poststructuralism: A Very Short Introduction
Catherine Belsey, 2002
Postmodernism: A Very Short Introduction
Christopher Butler, 2002
(November 2013)


Derrida, Barthes, Foucault, oh my!

So can anyone tell me exactly what the difference between these two actually is? Apart from the letters ‘structuralism’ and ‘modernism’ of course. It seems to me that Postmodernism is ‘playful’ and mostly about art and Poststructuralism isn’t. A lot of the same names keep cropping up though.

I think this Very Short Introduction series may prove to be dangerously addictive. Butler in particulary is pleasing caustic about the whole thing. ‘Cos obviously another pretentious and time-consuming habit is exactly what I need right now…


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2 comments:

  1. Ἀντισθένης6 November 2013 at 08:44

    God, this crap was all over the English department when I began my B.A. in English: much of the reason I switched to Philosophy. Not without its own faults, but at least its for adults.

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    1. kamo7 November 2013 at 21:02

      Really, I think you'd love the Butler volume.

      The semiotics stuff is interesting, in its own way, but you know how I feel about the general level of 'rigour' in the social sciences...

      Read the Butler. It's hilarious (admittedly in that bitchy, constrained, academic way. But still).

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