Structuralism

John Sturrock’s classic explication of Structuralism represents the most succinct and balanced survey available of a major critical movement associated with the thought of such key figures as Lévi–Strauss, Foucault, Barthes, Lacan and Althusser. Originally celebrated for the way it negotiated a reasoned way between what were extremely impassioned factions of evangelists and their opponents, the book still offers the best and most readily accessible account of the subject. As critics now prove to be increasingly eager to reappraise Structuralism, this edition, with a new introduction by the leading contemporary French theorist, Jean–Michel Rabaté, could not be more timely or convenient for the student of critical or literary theory.

Introduction 2003: Are you History? Jean–Michel Rabaté. Introduction to the second edition: John Sturrock. Language. Social Sciences. Semiotics. Literature. Post–Structuralism. Conclusion. Further Reading. Notes. Index.

John Sturrock is a literary journalist, sometime deputy editor of the Times Literary Supplement , and consulting editor on the London Review of Books . He has written widely on French literature, and is an accomplished translator.