Modern Genre Theory

Abstract

Think of how much work has been done in modern times on the theory of narrative—and of howmuch of that work has been interesting, productive, and even revolutionary, to the point where it can fairly be said that not until recently were we in a position to understand the nature of literary narrative. Now compare the situation in the theory of genres.Though some very significant work has been done, it has been spotty: the theory of genres has not been the object of sustained initiative by any major theorist or critical movement. As a result, contemporary theorists of literature find themselves with comparatively little to say about one of the most basic categories of literary study. It is this context that makes the appearance of David Duff ’s anthology so significant. Duff has chosen well in assembling fifteen essays and excerpts to represent theoretical work on genre in the twentieth century. In addition to providing a generally useful headnote to each item, he has framed this material with an annotated bibliography, a glossary, and an introduction. Although genre theory may not have been a booming subject during the last hundred years, enough has been done so that Duff has had to make a variety of selections, trade-offs, and exclusions in order to produce a representative collection of readings that would fit into a medium-sized volume. And while I have some criticisms and suggestions to offer, it is hard to see how a much better job could have been done overall. The concept of genre has had its vigorous detractors of course—perhaps