These five articles have changed the nature and practice of criticism for decades. First published in 1979, this collection is comprised of key work by Harold Bloom ("The Breaking of Form"), Paul de Man ("Shelley Disfigured"), Jacques Derrida ("Living On"), Geoffrey H. Hartman ("Words, Wish, Worth: Wordsworth") and J. Hillis Miller ("The Critic as Host") and so includes a precise summary, the fundamentals of theory, and models of criticism. Most attention has been paid to the article of Derrida, which here includes his border notes on writing in a "telegraphic" style for economy, which he contrasts with writing "from afar," and de Man's commentary on polarity, self-appraisal and enigma, but Miller's treatment of the citation within the citation and Hartman's model-within-a model were also influential, and many regret not starting their work in deconstruction by reading Bloom's appraisal and analysis. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)