Reviews for A short history of English literature

The average rating for A short history of English literature based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-03-22 00:00:00 Els Houben Skvěle sepsaná publikace, která přesně, stručně a jednoduše vystihuje základní znaky a souvislosti anglické literatury, včetně autorů, jejich děl s menším rozborem a občas i krátkou ukázkou. Díky všem analýzám, podobenstvím a vzájemným srovnáváním spisovatelů je vidět, že autor knihy má opravdu přehled. Kniha je čtivá a příjemně na sebe všechno navazuje, tak, že se čte, spíš než jako odborná publikace, jako beletristický příběh.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-09-15 00:00:00 Juerg Ingold Reading this is like going on whirlwind courtship, shortening a 3-year affair into 3 weeks. I wish I had read this when I first started my university degree. It would have helped me through dark days when I wrestled with my choice of reading English Literature, and given me courage to love it more and hate it less (just as philosophy students would have appreciated "Sophie's World" when they first began their undergraduate studies). Robert Barnard gives a lively, concise and witty discourse spanning Chaucer to Salman Rushdie, punctuated by descriptions and phrases so colourful that it makes for a good read on its own. In his preface, Barnard states that this book serves to acquaint the reader with generally accepted views of the authors and periods under discussion and therefore has no intention to introduce any new insights, declaring in his deadpan way that “indeed, if an original is to be found anywhere in the book it has got in by mistake and is almost certainly wrong.” There is a brief introduction of the political and social context for each period under discussion, giving a good background to the mood of the times and how it coloured and influenced writers' sentiments and expressions. That is immensely useful, especially if you are not British and are not familiar with English history. He describes authors, historical figures and periods in delightful ways. Oscar Wilde was hailed as “the father of the twentieth century 'dandies' of literature...who refuse to be intimidated into solemnity, commitment of orthodoxy, who dance or prance with grace on the edge of the abyss.” What a wildly gorgeous description. This is a good reference book for college students and anyone keen to have a quick grasp of English Literature without sacrificing its panoramic view. I am very sure that anyone who reads this would enjoy it, given the author's skill, knowledge of the subject matter and of course, his wit. Robert Barnard, besides being a college professor is also a prolific writer of science fiction novels.