A Short History Of English Literature

First published in 2012. This work of introduction is designed to escort the reader through some six centuries of English literature. It begins in the fourteenth century at the point at which the language written in our country is recognizably our own, and ends in the 1950s. It is a compact survey, summing up the substance and quality of the individual achievements that make up our literature. The aim is to leave the reader informed about each writer’s main output, sensitive to the special character of his gifts, and aware of his place in the story of our literature as a whole.

A Short History of English Literature is a comprehensive survey, in chronological fashion, of the major periods, authors and movements from Chaucer to the present. Written for undergraduate and postgraduate students in South Asian universities, this History locates authors, genres and developments within their social, political and historical contexts. Informed by contemporary literary and cultural theory, this account also prepares the student for further explorations in particular genres and periods in English literature. Key Features • A timeline and backgrounds chapter in each section to locate texts and writers in their social and political contexts • Additional information in boxes to draw attention to crucial 'moments' in the story of English literature • A revisionist reading of each period from new perspectives including feminism, new historicism and postcolonialism • An up-to-date bibliography and webliography to guide students to further specialized readings and introduce them to indispensable online resources • A detailed index of writers and their writings for easy reference and accessibility

First published in 2012. This work of introduction is designed to escort the reader through some six centuries of English literature. It begins in the fourteenth century at the point at which the language written in our country is recognizably our own, and ends in the 1950s. It is a compact survey, summing up the substance and quality of the individual achievements that make up our literature. The aim is to leave the reader informed about each writer’s main output, sensitive to the special character of his gifts, and aware of his place in the story of our literature as a whole.