This classic of literary interpretation addresses the tension between reality, author, and text on three levels. The author presents three possible approaches, i.e., three fundamental types of literary interpretation: production-aesthetic analysis, structural analysis, and reception-theoretical analysis. The aim of literary scholarly reflection is not the correctness of text interpretation, but rather its verifiability and communicability. The fifth edition has been thoroughly updated and expanded to include sections on psychoanalytic literary interpretation, gender studies, and deconstruction. Selling points: a fundamental introduction to literary interpretation, providing foundational knowledge (including scientific work) especially for BA students.