General Editor''s Preface.- Introduction.- PART 1 EARLY MODERN VIEWPOINTS: CRITICAL BACKGROUND TO CONTEMPORARY DEBATES.- PART 2 THE MAJOR ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY DEBATES.- Is Theory Necessary ? (Empiricism vs Theoreticism).- What Does the Literary Work Represent''.- Is Literature Language? (The Claims of Stylistics).- What is Deconstruction''.- What is the Reader''s Place''.- PART 3 THE NEW THEORIES IN PRACTICE.- Fiction Poetry Drama.- Select Bibliography.- Notes on Contributors.- Acknowledgements.- Index.