The Literature Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

Clear, concise and comprehensive overview of the major literary movements and their associated classic works, all the way from ancient Mesopotamia to today. Very enlightening and entertaining read. I didn't even know "Southern Ontario Gothic" was a thing!

This book has particularly helped with my literature modules at university. Reading each section to how literature became popular in many different forms have been quite interesting. Most importantly, this book is fantastic if you struggle to absorb and interpret 18/19th century literature stories when reading or watching them – this book gives a simple, but detailed, description into the stories themselves and helps interpret the certain storyline subject.

‘The Literature Book’ is an introductory guide to world literature. It is split into seven sections: Heroes and Legends (3000 BCE-1300 CE), Renaissance to Enlightenment (1300-1800), Romanticism and the Rise of the Novel (1800-1855), Depicting Real Life (1855-1900), Breaking with Tradition (1900-1945), Post-War Writing (1945-1970), and Contemporary Literature (1970-Present). Each section begins with a timeline of key events and a brief introduction, which are followed by a series of articles on important works from the period, before concluding with short summaries of works recommended for further reading. Each article uses a key work to illustrate a particular movement, theme or style (e.g., The Frame Narrative, French Neoclassicism, The Harlem Renaissance), and includes quotes from the work, an author profile, diagrams to explain core concepts or aspects of the work, a summary of works that came before and after (so as to put the discussed work in context), and a ‘see also’ summary to guide readers to other relevant articles/works included in the book. At the end of the book, there is a glossary of key terms. ‘The Literature Book’ is very much an introductory text, so it focuses on breadth more than depth, but it is a useful reference for readers interested in learning about world literature and it provides a good starting point for further learning. The writing is engaging and easy to follow, making it accessible for beginners, and the use of diagrams and images helps to break up the text, preventing it from becoming dense or daunting. The arrangement of the sections and articles also makes it easy to dip in and out of the book. If you want to learn about world literature, this book is a great place to start. (Though, your TBR list won’t thank you for it!) ⚠️ Mentions and discusses a wide range of topics.

This book lays out the most significant of literatures that have been written and published in humanity and does a good job of presenting the information- not too long or too short. It’s a great overview of understanding the various themes and context and provides an opportunity to build interest on the ones you like so you can buy the actual books explore them further. This book is a great starting point.

A very well written and easy to read guide to literature from its beginnings to the present time. It covers a wide range of books and authors and the ebook version is very good value.

Brought this as a Christmas gift, the receiver was an English teacher and she absolutely loved it. She was actually plesantly surprised at how thoughtful a secret santa gift could be. Perfect for anyone who likes books, it's hard back and bursting will all sorts of information.

A nutshell guide to the major literary figures and their works with thematic links. The graphics layout, however, is, in my opinion, awful. Great big blocks of typeface as headings give a slightly patronising feel to the whole book which detracts from the well researched content.

A great guide to world literature with timeliness and links made between texts. Lots of plot summaries and suggestions for wider reading and research.

Such a good book for people who enjoy reading classics

Ele adorou. Segundo meu amigo, ajuda nas conversas com pessoas que adoram falar sobre obras literárias.

It's a master piece of literature where we get almost all classical ideas and works in one.its very useful for graduate and post graduate English literature students and teachers.its an excellent book well explained in simple language.its helpful for NET aspirants in English.iam in love with this book because of its excellent pages and printing.

Libro fácil de seguir, ilustrativo y muy esclarecedor gracias a las imágenes que contiene.

La manera de exponer los temas es simple y efectiva. Es visual, pero no deja de lado entrar a fondo en los temas. Lo recomiendo mucho.