English Literature: A Very Short Introduction

• Written by acclaimed scholar and biographer Jonathan Bate
• An essential buy for A-Level and undergraduate students of English Literature
• Considers why literature matters, how narrative works, and what is distinctly English about English literature
• Looks at the three main kinds of imaginative literature, namely English poetry, English drama, and the English novel
• Uses many well-known examples to demonstrate throughout

Readership: A must-read for all students of A-level and undergraduate English Literature courses, with a wide appeal to the general reader interested in literature

Jonathan Bate, Professor of Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature at the University of Warwick

"While exploring towering works, Bate remins us that literature can also be terrific fun." - Christopher Hirst. The Independent

1: Once upon a time
2: What it is
3: When it began
4: The study of English
5: Periods and movements
6: Among the English Poets
7: Shakespeare and dramatic literature
8: Aspects of the English novel
9: The Englishness of English literature
Further Reading

Author Jonathan Bate introduces 'English Literature: A Very Short Introduction' in this 'Meet the Author' video.
English Literature: A Very Short Introduction - a reading guide