Includes bibliographical references (p. [173]-177) and indexes.

Why Derrida? -- Key ideas -- Deconstruction the earthquake -- Be free -- Supplement -- Text -- Difference -- The most interesting thing in the world -- Monsters -- Secret life -- Poetry break -- After Derrida.

"In this introduction, Royle offers explanations of various key ideas, including deconstruction, differance and the democracy to come.

He also gives attention, however, to a range of perhaps less obvious topics, such as earthquakes, animals and animality, ghosts, monstrosity, the poematic, drugs, gifts, secrets, war and mourning. Derrida is seen as an extraordinarily inventive thinker, as well as a brilliantly imaginative and often very funny writer. Other critical introductions tend to highlight the specifically philosophical nature and genealogy of his work.

Royle's book proceeds in a new and different way, in particular by focusing on the crucial but strange place of literature in Derrida's writings. He thus provides an appreciation and understanding based on detailed reference to Derrida's texts, interwoven with close readings of literary works.

In doing so, he explores Derrida's consistent view that deconstruction is a 'coming-to-terms with literature'.

He emphasizes the ways in which 'literature', for Derrida, is indissociably bound up with other concerns, such as philosophy and psychoanalysis, politics and ethics, responsibility and justice, law and democracy."--Jacket.

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