Genres in Discourse

About this book

This is a collection in translation of recent essays by Tzvetan Todorov, one of the most eminent of contemporary literary critics. In the first section of this volume Todorov proposes definitions for the notions of literature, discourse and genre. Following is a general discussion of the two principal literary genres, fiction and poetry. Finally in the third section of essays Todorov examines works of individual authors as case studies; among them Poe, Dostoevsky, Conrad and James.