French Literature Reviews - 2026

A History of Feminist Literary Criticism
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics

Gill PLAIN and Susan SELLERS (eds.), A History of Feminist Literary Criticism, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2007, 364 pp.
ISBN-13 9780521852555

SUMMARY

Feminism has transformed the academic study of literature, fundamentally altering the canon of what is taught and setting new agendas for literary analysis. In this authoritative history of feminist literary criticism, leading scholars chart the development of the practice from the Middle Ages to the present. The first section of the book explores protofeminist thought from the Middle Ages onwards, and analyses the work of pioneers such as Wollstonecraft and Woolf. The second section examines the rise of second wave feminism and maps its interventions across the twentieth century. A final section examines the impact of postmodernism on feminist thought and practice. This book offers a comprehensive guide to the history and development of feminist literary criticism and a lively reassessment of the main issues and authors in the field. It is essential reading for all students and scholars of feminist writing and literary criticism.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction Gill Plain and Susan Sellers; Part I. Pioneers and Protofeminism: Introduction Gill Plain; 1. Medieval feminist criticism Carolyn Dinshaw; 2. Feminist criticism in the Renaissance and seventeenth century Helen Wilcox; 3. Mary Wollstonecraft and her legacy Susan Manly; 4. The feminist criticism of Virginia Woolf Jane Goldman; 5. Simone de Beauvoir and the demystification of woman Elizabeth Fallaize; Part II. Creating a Feminist Literary Criticism: Introduction Gill Plain and Susan Sellers; 6. Literary representations of women Mary Eagleton; 7. A history of women's writing Helen Carr; 8. Autobiography and personal criticism Linda Anderson; 9. Black feminist criticism Arlene Keizer; 10. Lesbian feminist criticism Caroline Gonda; 11. Men in feminism Calvin Thomas; Part III. Poststructuralism and Beyond: Introduction Gill Plain and Susan Sellers; 12. Feminist criticism and poststructuralism Claire Colebrook; 13. Feminist criticism and psychoanalysis Madelon Sprengnether; 14. French feminist criticism and writing the body Judith Still; 15. Postcolonial feminist criticism Chris Weedon; 16. Feminist criticism and queer theory Heather Love; 17. Feminist criticism and technologies of the body Stacy Gillis; Postscript: flaming feminism? Susan Gubar; Bibliography.

This comprehensive volume traces the evolution of feminist literary analysis, moving from early protofeminist works through the crucial interventions of second-wave feminism to contemporary theoretical developments. Edited by Gill Plain and Susan Sellers, the collection brings together leading scholars to examine how women's writing and gender perspectives have reshaped the academic study of literature. By addressing key figures such as Mary Wollstonecraft, Virginia Woolf, and Simone de Beauvoir alongside broader historical shifts, the book provides a thorough grounding in the traditions and methodologies that define the discipline today.

Designed for students and scholars of literary criticism and gender studies, the text explores complex intersections with poststructuralism, psychoanalysis, postcolonial theory, and queer studies. It offers valuable insights into specialized fields including Black feminist criticism, lesbian writing, and French feminist thought, notably the concept of writing the body. Readers seeking to understand how feminist perspectives transformed canonical canons and established new analytical agendas will find this volume an indispensable resource for contextualizing modern theoretical debates.