Holland's Guide to Psychoanalytic Psychology and Literature-and-Psychology
- 160 pages
- 6 hours of reading
As psychoanalysis gains prominence in literary studies, students often feel overwhelmed by the vast literature available. Holland's guide offers a solution by providing concise outlines of various psychoanalytic theories and their applications to literary criticism. These outlines direct readers to further, specific readings—articles, essays, and books—accompanied by extensive bibliographies that include works from early Freud to contemporary cognitive science, along with numerous bibliographic aids. Holland integrates these readings with detailed commentary on how different psychologies relate to literature, enabling students to easily navigate topics such as Jungian criticism, ego psychology, feminist psychoanalysis, and psychoanalytic film theory. He also presents an engaging discussion on reader-response criticism and a clear guide to Jacques Lacan's work. A compelling epilogue defends the psychological approach, indicating which aspects of psychoanalytic theory are beneficial for literary critics. As the only guidebook of its kind for students of psychoanalytic literary theory and criticism, Holland's work serves as an invaluable resource for those studying psychoanalysis and psychology.
