Literature and the Reader: Research in Response to Literature, Reading Interests, and the Teaching of Literature.

A review of research in the three areas of response to literature, reading interests, and the teaching of literature is presented. 'Each category of study is discussed in a-separate chapter, with a bibliography included at the end of the chapter. In evaluating each study, the authors focus on the question_wlih which it deals and its conceptual design more than on the statistical treatment used. The authors divide their comments and questions into ten areas and state that all Areas point to the complexity of the process of reading literature and the need to show the interworkings of the process. They also conclude that the processes of reading and literary response involve complex relationships among the reader, the literary work, and the situation of reading. Abstracts of some of the most significant studies dealing with the nature of the literary response and related to the teaching of literature are included in an appendix. (Author /DI) Num/ U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO OUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION °RIG INATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPIN IONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDU CATION POSITION DR POLICY Literature and the Reader: Research in Response to Literature, Reading Interests, and the Teaching of Literature Alan C. Purves Richard Beach FILMED FROM BEST AVAILABLE COPY University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign 1 Final report to The National Endowment for the Humanities 413 Project Number H69-0-129 III September 1969 January 31. 1972