Clear, student-friendly writing and an impeccable treatment of the technique of critical reading make this text a powerful and engaging learning tool. This compact text focuses on helping students read and understand literature from various critical theory perspectives. The inclusion of women and cross-cultural writers encourages students to approach literature from a variety of critically valuable viewpoints, reinforcing an underlying premise that there are many valid interpretations of literature. An emphasis on understanding the critical elements and how they work in conjunction leads students to apply what they have learned when developing a thorough, satisfying critical interpretation.