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A Little History of Literature

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( 2,211 ratings, 341 reviews)
Brief Description
A vibrant guide to the world of literature, from dramatic plays to engrossing novels. Literature has inspired every civilisation, from Greek myth to today's graphic novels. John Sutherland, who has researched, taught, and written on the entire glorious span of human literary activity, guides readers on... Read More
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A vibrant guide to the world of literature, from dramatic plays to engrossing novels.

Literature has inspired every civilisation, from Greek myth to today's graphic novels. John Sutherland, who has researched, taught, and written on the entire glorious span of human literary activity, guides readers on a journey 'through the looking glass' to show how literature from across the world can transport us, transfix us, and teach us about ourselves.

He introduces key works, from the Epic of Gilgamesh and Shakespeare to T.S. Eliot, George Orwell, and Margaret Atwood, and looks afresh at literature's links to power, identity, and taste. From the rude jokes within Anglo-Saxon riddles to the guilty pleasures of potboilers and fan fiction, this celebratory guide offers wit, humour, and deep learning to all who enjoy literature and who want to understand it anew.

Little Histories – Inspiring Guides for Curious Minds

Series: Little Histories

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  • A Little History of Literature
    A vibrant guide to the world of literature, from dramatic plays to engrossing novels. Literature has inspired every civilisation, from Greek myth to today's graphic novels. John Sutherland, who has researched, taught, and written on the entire glorious span of human literary activity, guides readers on a journey 'through the looking glass' to show how literature from across the world...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300283419

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 08 April 2025

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Illustration: 40 b-w illus.

Audience: Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 288

About the Author

John Sutherland is Emeritus Lord North Professor of Modern English Literature, University College London. He has taught students at every level and is the author or editor of more than forty books including How to Read a Novel and How to be Well Read. The Lives of the Novelists, published by Yale in 2013, was described by one reviewer as β€˜a reference book that rocks.’

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  • How to be Well Read
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