{"product_id":"2026100009180-secondhand-critical-assumptions-signed","title":"Critical Assumptions (SIGNED)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: Worn\/faded, no tears\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good\u003cbr\u003eMarkings: Signed with inscription\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat does it truly mean to engage with a literary text — and what invisible assumptions govern every act of reading, interpretation, and criticism? Critical Assumptions by K. K. Ruthven, Professor of English at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, is a rigorous and illuminating work that interrogates the foundational premises underpinning literary criticism itself. Ruthven systematically uncovers the taken-for-granted beliefs that critics bring to their work, presenting a sophisticated anatomy of the discipline that challenges scholars and students alike to examine the intellectual scaffolding behind their own judgements.\n\nWritten with clarity, precision, and a wry academic confidence, this work argues that no act of criticism is ever truly neutral — each carries with it a freight of cultural, philosophical, and ideological presuppositions. Ruthven's style is both instructive and provocative, drawing on a wide range of critical traditions to illustrate how assumptions shape meaning long before a reader ever reaches the text. Published by the prestigious Cambridge University Press, Critical Assumptions remains an essential touchstone for anyone serious about the theory and practice of literary study — leaving the reader to wonder just how much of what they know about literature they have simply assumed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49269346336987,"sku":"2026100009180-SECONDHAND","price":70.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/baa05b10-175e-449c-b6ba-c4e777df2454.png?v=1788998982","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026100009180-secondhand-critical-assumptions-signed","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}