Criticism After Theory from Shakespeare to Virginia Woolf: by Perry Meisel, New York, Routledge, 2022, ix + 163 pp., £39.99 (paper).

Perry Meisel's book, "Criticism After Theory from Shakespeare to Virginia Woolf," challenges the notion that theory is dead and instead argues for the continued relevance and importance of theoretical inquiries in literary criticism. Meisel explores the influence of Saussure's structuralism on various approaches such as new historicism, postcolonialism, gender studies, environmental studies, and archival studies. The book is divided into three sections, with the first focusing on theoretical exploration, the second on practical studies in literature, and the third on psychoanalytic studies. Meisel uses examples from canonical figures like Shakespeare, Milton, Lawrence, and Woolf to support his arguments. Overall, the book offers a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between theory and literary criticism, emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of the legacy of theory. [Extracted from the article]