In Is There a Text in This Class? The Authority of Interpretive Communities, Stanley Fish explores how meaning in literature is constructed not by the texts themselves but through the interpretive communities engaging with them. Fish argues that understanding is shaped by communal perspectives rather than individual interpretation or authorial intent.

Informative

Challenging

Contemplative

Reviews & Readership

4.1

331 ratings

62%

Loved it

28%

Mixed feelings

10%

Not a fan

Review Roundup

Stanley Fish's Is There a Text in This Class? is praised for its compelling argument on interpretive communities shaping meaning, offering valuable insights into reader-response criticism. However, some critics find the prose dense and challenging for lay readers. Its critiques of traditional interpretive authority remain influential but divisive among scholars.

Who Should Read Is There a Text in This Class? The Authority of Interpretive Communities?

Readers interested in literary theory, interpretive strategies, or the dynamics of reader-response criticism will appreciate Stanley Fish's Is There a Text in This Class?. Comparable works include Roland Barthes's S/Z and Hans-Georg Gadamer's Truth and Method, as they also explore the nature of interpretation and meaning-making.

4.1

331 ratings

62%

Loved it

28%

Mixed feelings

10%

Not a fan

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Book Details

Pages

394

Format

Book • Nonfiction

Genre

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Theme

Topic

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Publication Year

1982

Audience

Adult