The Implied Reader by Wolfgang Iser

The Implied Reader by Wolfgang Iser

Like no other art form, the novel confronts its readers with circumstances arising from their own environment of social and historical norms and stimulates them to assess and criticize their surroundings. By analyzing major works of English fiction ranging from Bunyan, Fielding, Scott, and Thackeray to Joyce and Beckett, renowned critic Wolfgang Iser here provides a framework for a theory of such literary effects and aesthetic responses. Iser's focus is on the theme of discovery, whereby the reader is given the chance to recognize the deficiencies of his own existence and the suggested solutions to counterbalance them. The content and form of this discovery is the calculated response of the reader -- the implied reader. In discovering the expectations and presuppositions that underlie all his perceptions, the reader learns to "read" himself as he does the text.

When the present flurry of works on theory of narrative fiction comes to an end.. this seems likely to be one of the survivors. -- Frank Kermode Times Literary Supplement Well-written, scholarly, perceptive... A basic framework for a rational theory of literary effects and responses based on the novel. Library Journal

Wolfgang Iser, who has taught at leading universities in the United States and Europe, is currently professor of English and comparative literature at the University of Constance.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780801821509
ISBN 10	0801821509
Title	The Implied Reader
Author	Wolfgang Iser
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Johns Hopkins University Press
Year published	1974-02-26
Number of pages	318
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.