Book excerpt: The book is a history of Western literary criticism and a general introduction to the subject of literary criticism and theory. It follows the survey approach, discussing English literary critics in a historical-chronological order. It is primarily designed to serve as a text/reference book for undergraduate and postgraduate students in Indian universities and colleges. The book deals with the critical texts that are prescribed for study in many M.A (English) courses in India. One section of the book surveys the contribution made by the ancient critics since knowledge of classical criticism is essential for an understanding of later developments. Another section (sixteenth to twentieth century) takes for close examination, individually, such of those critics as are prescribed in the curricula of M.A. courses in Indian universities and colleges. The last section on Contemporary Criticism, examines all the movements, with special emphasis on theorists who have initiated these movements. The section, A Glossary of Critical Terms, gives short explanatory notes on critical terms with which a student is expected to be familiar. The Select Bibliography lists important works on criticism which can be consulted for further reading and research.