This tiny (5x7") book of fewer than 100 pages distills the artistic philosophy of Shklovsky, who was part of the Russian Formalist movement of the early 20th century, and how he defined art in the context of popular literature and film. Written in 1923 for art students and fellow critics, this book provides a contrary view to the idea that art should reflect "the real world," offering one of the first semiotic views on cinema. This new English translation features a new foreword from Richard Sheldon, and mentions Shklovsky's enthusiasm for critiquing the work of Charlie Chaplin. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)