This provocative book undertakes a new and challenging reading of recent semiotic and structuralist theory, arguing that films, novels, and poems cannot be studied in isolation from their viewers and readers.

"Her explanations are lucid and her exemplary analysis of poetry, fiction, and film are profuse and acute."--Robert Scholes, Brown University "Admirably thorough and lucid....Professor Silverman's meticulous unravelling of complexities...puts its case with a vigour and commitment."--Times Literary Supplement "An excellent and important, even beautifully written book."--American Film "A lucid and imaginative introduction to advanced semiotic research."--David E. Wellberg, Stanford University "Highly original treatment of great interest. Brings very important and unusual material (especially from French writers) to bear on structuralism, communication, psychoanalysis, [and] anthropology."--Nur Yalman, Harvard University "Admirably organized and written. She makes sense out of a great mass of diverse ideas....Not only a fine introduction to contemporary thought, but a positive contribution to it."--Christopher Collins, New York University "Enters an important field of contemporary critical debate and makes the issues forcefully clear. It makes accessible to the English-reading public the relationships between and among structuralism, semiotics, psychoanalysis, feminism, and post-structuralism."--Gayatri Chakrovorty Spivak, University of Texas, Austin "Superb text for the topic in a feminist theory class--so lucidly written."--Jeanie K. Forte, University of Tennessee