English Literature

Book excerpt: English literature is the mother lode to English-language speakers and deservedly so. The English have a rich history of writing with lights so bright they bedazzle the student: Shakespeare, Byron, Keats, Bronte, Shelly, Dickens, Chaucer and on and on. Yet English literature also competed with French, Russian, Chinese and many other literatures on the world stage. How has the language effected the literature? Does the English speaker feel drawn to Shakespeare the same as a Russian does to Pushkin? Did England fully share in the literary movements of the day? Can a small country possess the literary firepower to keep up with the giants? Does it matter? This new book presents an overview of the entire field of English literature as well as a selective bibliography indexed by subject, author and title for easy access.