A Rhetoric of Irony by Wayne C. Booth | Literary Criticism & Theory Book | Perfect for English Literature Students & Scholars

Analyzing irony, dealing with the myriad ways in which it affects culture, language, and identity, has been an important aspect of critical and social theory since the time of the Greeks; it picks up steam during the Romantic period,continues on through the 20th century, and shows no signs of slowing down in the 21st. And yet, despite, or perhaps because of its relevance, irony is a concept that invites controversy. For some irony relegates language, meaning, and truth to the void; for others it points towards a truth that transcends the contingencies of life, culture, language. Irony is an incredibly complex, incredibly frustrating concept, slipping through the fingers of even the sublest minds. In "A Rhetoric of Irony," Wayne Booth takes up the challenge. Did he succeed? The five stars should give you an idea of where I stand on that question. His study is wide ranging, covering irony as literary trope, rhetorical framework, and social theory. He looks at what irony can tell us about the relationship between the author and the reader; he investigates the question of authorial intent, and what it means for meaning to completely discount it; he questions popular theories of irony that dispatch with meaning and intent; and he uses Plato to argue for irony as, not a destroyer of values, but a signpost to values akin to universal. Despite the scope and complexity, Booth never obfuscates, never occludes key points with careless ambiguity. His language is clean, his propositions, sound. As for Booth's audience, he deals with the multi-faceted nature of irony with a clarity that makes it accessible to anyone willing to read attentively. That said, scholars and students working in the humanities are likely Booth's intended audience.But this book isn't just for people who are interested in irony; it's for the serious reader, always open to new, enriching perspectives; it's for anyone interested in knowledge, aware, knowing that they don't know quite enough, that they'll never know quite enough. If you're reading this review, perhaps this books for you. I unequivocally recommend it.