The Performance of Reading: An Essay in the Philosophy of Literature

"Kivy's is a highly welcome book … .One hopes that Kivy's highly original, thought-provoking book betokens a new wave of scholarship." (Eighteenth-Century Studies)

"As always, [Kivy's] style is clear, lively, and engaging. In The Performance of Reading he offers a bold new interpretation of what the reading of literature is. The thesis of this monograph is simple: reading literature is a performance--more precisely, a silent one. 'I read, therefore I perform' ... Readers have an 'experience' not different from the one the ancients had when Homer was performed. It is still as if a voice in one's head is telling a story. Overall, this work is a wonderful addition to the understanding of literature." (Choice)

"Peter Kivy is probably the most respected aesthetician currently active in the English-speaking philosophical world, and this book is a wholly typical Kivy product, informed by his deep knowledge of music, literature and the history of philosophy from Plato through the 18th century to the present day, and written with his characteristic clarity, charm, and dry wit."
—Gary Iseminger, Carleton College

"In his new book, Peter Kivy has opened a new domain of philosophical discussion. The Performance of Reading is sure to have the leading journals of aesthetics buzzing with debate, and will also attract and repay the close attention of literary theorists."
—Noël Carroll, Temple University

"Kivy develops his striking thesis with characteristic elegance, flair and ingenuity. The Performance of Reading is original, provocative, and bound to generate debate."
—Alex Neill, University of Southampton