This book will delight those who enjoy reading about reading. Elfenbein challenges classic reader-response theory, and the animosity of literary theorists toward psychology, as he applies resarch from cognitive psychology to literary criticism. He argues that understanding the gist of reading, or the processes we all share, is relevant to lit crit, and demonstrates how valuable this knowledge can be with examples. You will particularly enjoy his discussion of the scene in Emma where Mr Knightley reads Frank's confessional letter while voicing his reactions to Emma. In the analysis, we discover aspects we didn't notice (even after decades of re-reading). This is a refreshing look at the process of reading in general, literary reading, and historical reading. Stanford University Press. 2018. Paper. NEW. $25.00