Literature, Analytically Speaking: Explorations in the Theory of Interpretation, Analytic Aesthetics, and Evolution by Peter Swirski (review)

When “speaking analytically” about literature in Literature, Analytically Speaking, Peter Swirski tells a story of the wayward caprices of literary criticism past and present. His gripe is with what he sees as a pervasive disregard for the common sense truth that context matters. in particular, he seeks to underscore that the ontological status of literature cannot be understood absent consideration of authorial intentions. This enterprise is corrective in nature and entails a lengthy refutation over the first two chapters of all “poststructuralist,” purely text-based approaches to interpretation.