Literary criticism is more than just a book review. It is a critical analogy of a particular work of fiction by another writer who is not affiliated with the author. English literary fiction attempts to interpret and evaluate both contemporary and classic works of literature.
Time Frame
Literary criticism is a current activity practiced by modern writers or literary critics, who write about and analyze important works of fiction. Modern-day criticism may concern contemporary literature or it can be written about historical works of literature. The practice of literary criticism is often traced back to the Greek philosophers (Plato and Aristotle) of the third century B.C., who sometimes commented on and criticized the artistic pursuits of their contemporaries.
Literary Critics
As a general rule of thumb, a literary critic is not so much a writer of fiction, short stories, poems or plays, but instead he sees fit to read the great works of literature and then share his insights and opinions with other readers.
Fiction or Non Fiction
Works of fiction are the primary concern of literary critics, but poetry and memoir are also important. It is less common for literary criticism to be written about nonfiction books, but this may occur if the nonfiction author has written many books and is very well known.
Where Published
Literary criticism can be found in literary journals, especially those that are connected with a college or university. Literary criticism is also put out by various book publishers or it can be found online. A book of literary criticism usually contains many essays, centered around a central author or theme.
Who Reads Literary Criticism
English literature students and scholars make up the biggest group that reads this type of writing. To a lesser extent, casual readers who enjoy a particular author may pick up and read literary criticism about that author.
Different Schools of Literary Criticism
There are many schools of literary criticism, whereby the critic undertakes a particular viewpoint or outlook, when writing about the literary efforts of other authors. Some of the more common schools or philosophical attitudes that a critic might express include a Marxist, a feminist or a psychoanalytical perspective.
