Literary Analysis: The Basics is an insightful introduction to analysing a wide range of literary forms. Providing a clear outline of the methodologies employed in twenty-first century literary analysis, it introduces readers to the genres, canons, terms, issues, critical approaches, and contexts that affect the analysis of any text. It addresses such questions as:

• What counts as literature?
• Is analysis a dissection?
• How do gender, race, class and culture affect the meaning of a text?
• Why is the social and historical context of a text important?
• Can digital media be analysed in the same way as a poem?

With examples from ancient myths to young adult fiction, a glossary of key terms, and suggestions for further reading, Literary Analysis: The Basics is essential reading for anyone wishing to improve their analytical reading skills.

Celena Kusch is Associate Professor of American Literature at the University of South Carolina Upstate, USA.