Literary Reading

In the intersection of literary theory and empirical reading research, Lukas Kosch develops a model of literary reading, understanding literary works not as static objects but as dynamic events. This study makes a significant contribution to foundational research in literary studies and reading research by opening up a broad field of discussion in which the question of the role of reading in the constitution of literary studies and aesthetic reception is reexamined in an entirely innovative way. In doing so, it bridges the gap between theories of reading that pay little attention to reception processes and empirical reading research, which rarely draws on text-centered reading theories, thus positioning literary reading within a transdisciplinary framework. Beyond connecting texts and readers, the study primarily focuses on analyzing the reading process as an active exchange between textual features and reception practices. Literary reading becomes describable through an examination of textual structures during the reading process, assessing their reception potential as well as the necessary cognitive and emotional constructs formed by the reader. A key outcome of this study is the development of a coherent conceptual framework for describing the interaction between text and reader in literary reading, exemplified through an analysis of Der Sandmann by E. T. A. Hoffmann.