Genre is a key means by which we categorize the many forms of literature and culture. But it is also much more than that: in talk and writing, in music and images, in film and television, genres actively generate and shape our knowledge of the world. Understanding genre as a dynamic process rather than a set of stable rules, this book explores:

• the relation of simple to complex genres
• the history of literary genre in theory
• the generic organisation of implied meanings
• the structuring of interpretation by genre
• the uses of genre in teaching.

John Frow's lucid exploration of this fascinating concept will be essential reading for students of literary and cultural studies.