<p>Thiswide-ranging book argues that criticism emerged in early bourgeoissociety as a central feature of a &ldquo;public sphere&rdquo; in which political,ethical, and literary judgements could mingle under the benign rule ofreason. The disintegration of this fragile culture brought on a crisisin criticism, whose history since the 18th century has been fraughtwith ambivalence and anxiety.<br /><br />Eagleton&rsquo;s accountembraces Addison and Steele, Johnson and the 19-century reviewers, suchcritics as Arnold and Stephen, the heyday of <em>Scrutiny</em> and New Criticism, and finally the proliferation of avant-garde literary theories such as deconstructionism. <br /><br /><em>The Function of Criticism </em>isnothing less than a history and critique of the &ldquo;critical institution&rdquo;itself. Eagleton&rsquo;s judgements on individual critics are sharp andilluminating, which his general argument raises crucial questions aboutthe relations between language, literature and politics.</p>