Close Reading: The Basics

Close reading is an essential skill that literature students develop across the full length of their studies. This book, now in its second edition, is a complete guide to this foundational practice, offering model close readings of classic works of literature to provide an effective methodology for poetry, novels, drama, and beyond.

List of contents

Preface. Introduction. Chapter 1: The seven pleasures of reading. Chapter 2: The semantic context. Chapter 3: The syntactic and thematic contexts. Chapter 4: Close reading case study 1: Hamlet. Chapter 5: The iterative context, part 1: character and plot. Chapter 6: The iterative context, part 2: sounds and rhythms. Chapter 7: The generic context. Chapter 8: The adversarial context. Chapter 9: Close reading case study 2: Beloved. Conclusion: adversarial appreciation and the futures of close reading. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.

About the author

David Greenham is Professor of English Literature at the University of the West of England, UK.

Product details

• Authors: David Greenham, Greenham David
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 04.11.2025
• EAN: 9781032817347
• ISBN: 978-1-0-3281734-7
• No. of pages: 270
• Series: Basics
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; LITERARY CRITICISM / General, LITERARY CRITICISM / Semiotics & Theory, LITERARY CRITICISM / Books & Reading, Literary studies: general, Literary theory