In order to understand the various methodologies that make literary analysis possible (French literary criticism, the history of literary criticism and of comparative literary criticism) this course examines the history of criticism understood here as a “science of texts” with a focus on genre, form and discourse.

The approach will be both diachronic and synchronic. As we follow the development of literary criticism over the centuries, we will focus on such critical notions as text, author, reader, style, etc. to determine their scope, interest, and relevance.

Required texts:
- Antoine COMPAGNON, Le démon de la théorie, Points 2014, ISBN-13: 978-2757842041
- Jérôme ROGER, La critique littéraire, Armand Colin, 3ème édition, 2016, ISBN-13: 978-2200616120