This book investigates the intersection of psychoanalytic theory and the act of reading to determine how psychological processes shape our engagement with literary texts. Mary Jacobus, a prominent literary critic, utilizes a framework that bridges the gap between the internal psyche of the reader and the external structure of the written word. By examining reading as both a cognitive process and a cultural activity, she argues that the transmission of meaning is inherently tied to the boundaries of the self and the historical context of the text.

Scholars and students of literary theory frequently cite this work as a significant contribution to the study of reader-response criticism through a psychoanalytic lens. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which requires a foundational understanding of both psychoanalytic terminology and literary theory to fully grasp the author's arguments.