Sophie Vlacos has made an invaluable contribution to the study of both the form and content of Ricouer's thought. In particular, her study meticulously unfolds Ricouer's pre-occupation with the hermeneutic dimensions of literary understanding. The reader will encounter a most persuasive defence of his central claim that symbolic mediation offers a plausible resolution to 'the conflict of interpretations' and the unsettling ethical claims of the other upon us. A formidable achievement! -- Nicholas Davey, Professor of Philosophy, University of Dundee, United Kingdom The clarity and depth of Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutics are what first drew me fully to philosophy. Vlacos accomplishes no small feat in demonstrating why Ricoeur's theories on narrative and imagination and his style of engagement with the history of philosophy are immensely significant and unparalleled. She does a remarkable job interpreting the steps by which Ricoeur returns to the role of the imagination throughout his career and in different guises. This book is extremely well written and an essential source for a wider readership interested in literary theory and the philosophy of imagination. -- Todd Mei, Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Dundee, UK Sophie Vlacos steers a deft, judicious and immensely well-informed course amidst the numerous schools and movements of thought that Ricoeur himself managed to negotiate with such exemplary skill. Her book shows impressive assurance and command as it follows his often highly critical yet always deeply responsive engagements with hermeneutics, structuralism, post-structuralism, and deconstruction. By electing to focus on just two decades of a near seven-decade authorship - and by choosing just the right period and texts - Vlacos presents us with cogently structured study and one that still succeeds in conveying the extraordinary range of his writings. Above all she makes the case for Ricoeur as having offered a sustained and immensely resourceful alternative to what she sees as the ultimate dead-end of much recent literary theory. Whether or not you agree with her verdict - perhaps especially if you don't - this book will extend and sharpen your grasp of a great many challenging issues. Professor Christopher Norris, Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy, Cardiff University, UK Ricoeur described himself variously as a hermeneutic phenomenologist, post-Hegelian Kantian, biblical exegete, and philosophic anthropologist. To these epithets, Vlacos (English literature, Univ. of Glasgow) adds another--"poststructural modernist." From this perspective, according to Vlacos in this cogent and perceptive study, imaginative works of literature (broadly construed) are semiautonomous entities that over time escape the gravitational pull of their authors yet retain the capacity to project alternative and potentially redemptive modes of living in the world. Summing Up: Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through researchers/faculty. Summing Up: Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through researchers/faculty. -- H. I. Einsohn, Middlesex Community College CHOICE