Literary Criticism & Collections

The Anthropocene Fictions: A Systematic Examination of Novels in a Time of Climate Change Adam Trexler's groundbreaking study explores the literary response to anthropogenic climate change,...

This extensive collection of poetry by Shuntarō Tanikawa spans his artistic development from early works to later masterpieces. From exploring human existence to delving into everyday life,...

George Steiner's Lessons of the Masters offers a profound reflection on the complex and subtle interplay of power, trust, and passion in teaching. Drawing on his 2001-2002 Norton Lectures, Steiner...

This introduction to Jean Rhys's life and work provides a reliable and stimulating account of her literary context and critical reception. Elaine Savory offers close readings of Rhys's novels,...

Daphnis and Chloe, a ravishing ancient Greek romance, tells the story of two young lovers who discover their sexuality in an idyllic pastoral environment. This beautifully crafted novel explores...

Gore Vidal was one of America's most innovative and influential intellectuals of the past fifty years. In "How to Be an Intellectual in the Age of TV", Marcie Frank explores how Vidal's life and work...

Urn Burial by Sir Thomas Browne is a seminal work of Renaissance scholarship that explores the intersection of history, culture and mortality. In this thought-provoking essay, Browne examines the...

Under the Sign of the I Ching: Essays on Richard Berengarten's 'Changing' This collection brings together eighteen authors from around the world to explore Richard Berengarten's 'Changing', a poetic...

Derek Jarman's writing has long been overshadowed by his groundbreaking filmmaking and activism. This book provides a comprehensive analysis of Jarman's prolific literary output, exploring the ways...

Patriotic Gore Studies in the Literature of the American Civil War is a comprehensive exploration of one of America's most pivotal periods. Edmund Wilson's work offers critical and biographical...

The Sacred Scrolls: Comics on the Planet of the Apes is an in-depth exploration of the comic book history of the Planet of the Apes franchise. Since the 1970s, numerous publishers have released over...

Narrative theory underpins our understanding of stories across various cultural productions. This comprehensive guide explores how narratives work and their significance in shaping social forms. The...

The Canterbury Tales by Helen Cooper provides a comprehensive guide to Geoffrey Chaucer's iconic work. This third edition brings the tales up to date with recent criticism and modern reader...

Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby A Reader's Guide provides a comprehensive introduction to this iconic novel. This guide offers an overview of the text's context, criticism and influence, as well as...

This comprehensive guide explores the history of literary criticism and theory from ancient Greece to the present day. From Plato to postcolonialism, Pelagia Goulimari examines key thinkers and...

Help your child develop a lifelong love of reading with practical tips and recommendations. Mary Leonhardt's guide offers simple, effective strategies to support children of all ages and reading...

The Art of Poetry Edexcel Gcse: Time & Place by Neil Bowen provides sharp and engaging critical essays on each of the poems from the Edexcel Time & Place cluster. This book is designed to support...

Production of Presence: What Meaning Cannot Convey is a comprehensive overview of Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht's thought on literary studies and the humanities. This book offers a personal account of key...

Bestsellers: A Very Short Introduction by John Sutherland explores how the tastes and preferences of readers are reflected in popular fiction. This book takes an engaging look at the American and...

The Middle English Breton Lays offers a unique insight into the family values of late medieval England through its collection of poems. Edited by Anne Laskaya, this volume brings together literary...

Lucian's True Stories is an ideal text for students who have completed their first year of college-level Ancient Greek. With its straightforward syntax and engaging narrative, this satire blends...

The Company We Keep: An Ethics of Fiction by Wayne C. Booth explores how literature shapes our understanding of ourselves and others. By redefining ethics as an inquiry into the ethos - the character...

Robert Browning Selected Poems offers a fresh appraisal of the poet's work, presenting his poems in the order of their composition and in the text in which they were first published. This unique...

John Clare's career has been often portrayed as a disaster, with editorial heavy-handedness and conservative patronage blamed for his struggles. However, this study reveals that Clare was not a...

The Tale of Genji, written in the eleventh century, is an exquisite portrait of courtly life in medieval Japan. This masterpiece is widely celebrated as one of the world's finest novels and tells the...

The Cambridge Companion to Environmental Humanities by Jeffrey Cohen and Stephanie Foote provides a comprehensive introduction to the environmental humanities, an interdisciplinary field responding...

Time, History, and Literature presents a significant collection of essays by Erich Auerbach, a renowned literary critic. This major new volume brings together twenty essays from Auerbach's career,...

Thomas Chatterton and Neglected Genius, 1760-1830 by Daniel Cook offers new insights into the formation and development of literary scholarship in the period. This book examines how Chatterton's work...

Glimpses of Her Father's Glory: Deification and Divine Light in Longfellow's Evangeline by Timothy E. G. Bartel Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Evangeline has long been a beloved poem, inspiring...

Science fiction and socialism have long been intertwined. Many science fiction writers are leftists, while others explore Marxist themes in their work. This genre is well-suited to examining the...

This insightful collection features in-depth interviews with 12 leading actors who share their experiences playing some of Shakespeare's most iconic roles.Through candid conversations, these talented...

The Christian Invention of Time: Temporality and the Literature of Late Antiquity by Simon GoldhillSimon Goldhill explores how Christianity transformed our understanding of time, from discussions of...

The Libyan Novel: Humans, Animals and the Poetics of Vulnerability by Charis Olszok explores the themes and genres of the Libyan novel during the al-Qadhafi era. Through an analysis of prominent and...

This comprehensive encyclopedia provides in-depth analysis and detailed information on Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. With 175 entries covering various aspects of the novel, including its...

The Cambridge Companion to English Literature, 1500-1600 provides a comprehensive account of English Renaissance literature within its cultural context. This collection of essays explores...

The Characters of Theophrastus and Herodas: Mimes by Sophron and Other Mime Fragments. This collection brings together important examples of Greek literary portraiture, featuring thirty fictional...

Revisiting your favourite TV series can be a fun and insightful experience. L.M. Lilly's book takes apart Episodes 1-11 of Season Two, examining key plot turns, character arcs, metaphors, and themes...

The Cambridge Companion to E. M. Forster provides an in-depth exploration of the life and work of one of England's most celebrated authors. This collection of essays, written by recognized experts,...

Reception provides an introduction to the study of how texts are received by readers, viewers, and audiences. Drawing on work in literary and cultural studies as well as other disciplines, this book...

Shakespeare's use of 'thou' and 'you' in his plays is more complex than it initially appears. This book explores the language of address in Shakespeare's works, examining why certain characters use...

Shakespeare's Roman Trilogy: A New Perspective on Ancient Rome. Paul A. Cantor offers a fresh analysis of Shakespeare's Roman plays, exploring their significance in the context of ancient Rome and...

Catherine Belsey explores the enduring appeal of ghost stories in her thought-provoking analysis. From ancient tales to modern fiction, she charts the evolution of the genre, tracing its roots in...

William Empson's Essays on Shakespeare offers a unique perspective on the works of one of literature's greatest playwrights. This collection brings together major readings of Hamlet and Macbeth, as...

The Symbolist Movement in Literature by Arthur Symons A foundational work of criticism that introduced French Symbolism to an Anglophone readership, this 2014 edition brings back into print a highly...

The Body Embarrassed: Drama and the Disciplines of Shame in Early Modern England by Gail Kern Paster explores how men and women in early modern Europe experienced their bodies, contrasting with...

A Literary Tour of Italy by Tim Parks explores the rich literary heritage of Italy, from the Renaissance to modern times. This collection of essays delves into the works of key authors such as...

Est Collected Reports From East Anglia by Wendy Mulford This unique collection weaves together prose, poetry and reportage to explore the landscapes and histories of East Anglia. Spanning from the...

Thirty-odd Functions of Voice in the Poetry of Alice Notley explores how one poet has used the voices of those around her to populate her work. This collection of poems and essays examines the...

No Turning Back: A Global History of Feminism and the Future of Women by Estelle FreedmanThis comprehensive survey explores the historical forces that have fueled the feminist movement over two...

The Long Journey of Changchun: A 13th-Century TravelogueThis translation of Li Zhichang's account of Qiu Chuji's journey from north China to the Hindu Kush in 1221-23 offers a unique and detailed...

A comprehensive guide to James Joyce's Finnegans Wake, written by renowned scholar Edmund L. Epstein.First published in 1939, Finnegans Wake is notoriously difficult to unravel due to its complex...

The Best of Young British Novelists by Bill Buford This collection brings together the writing of 20 talented young novelists who were judged in 1983. It is a unique opportunity to discover the work...

The Testaments SparkNotes Literature Guide provides comprehensive support for studying Margaret Atwood's acclaimed novel. This portable guide offers a complete plot summary and analysis, as well as...

Mark Twain's final and uncensored masterpiece is presented in three volumes. This third and final volume crowns and completes his life's work, offering a unique glimpse into the author's inner and...

The Value of Poetry by Eric Falci offers a thought-provoking evaluation of poetry's role in contemporary society. Falci argues that poems have the power to capture and convey fundamental human ideas,...

The Cambridge Companion to the Classic Russian Novel explores the major themes and traditions of Russian literature from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This comprehensive guide features...

The Cambridge Companion to W. H. Auden is a comprehensive collection of essays by leading experts on the life and work of W.H. Auden, one of the major English-speaking poets of the twentieth century...

First published in 1961, Every Changing Shape explores how Christian poetry and mystical experience shape the imagination. Written by Elizabeth Jennings early in her career, this collection provides...

The Challenges of Orpheus: A Critical Exploration of Lyric Poetry in Early Modern England Heather Dubrow's groundbreaking study challenges prevailing assumptions about lyric poetry, exploring its...

Cognitive Poetics: An Introduction by Peter Stockwell offers a rigorous approach to literary reading and analysis. This revised edition features updated theory, frameworks, and examples, covering a...

Thomas Hardy's Selected Writings offers a comprehensive collection of his work, spanning poetry and prose. This edition presents his poetry in its original form, as it appeared in individual volumes,...

Hugo von Hofmannsthal and His Time: The European Imagination, 1860-1920 by Hermann Broch is a deeply insightful study that explores the intellectual issues of the European fin de siècle. Through an...

Alexander the Great A Novel by Nikos Kazantzakis is a historical novel that brings to life the many-faceted image of Alexander, from god to mortal man. Drawing on both legend and documented history,...

Stendhal Fiction and the Themes of Freedom by Victor Brombert offers a profound analysis of the works of one of France's greatest authors. Through careful readings of Stendhal's fiction and...

Culture and Society in the Stuart Restoration Literature, Drama, History explores how the Restoration period shaped the concept of a national literature. This literary culture was closely tied to...

Carmilla: A Critical Edition by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu is a gripping gothic tale that explores the darker side of human nature. First published in 1872, this vampire story follows a young woman's...

Nordic Terrors explores how Scandinavian superstition influenced British Gothic literature in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This book examines the cultural significance of Nordic references...

The Golden Age of Spanish Drama: New Translations, Backgrounds and Contexts, Criticism by Barbara Fuchs This Norton Critical Edition explores one of the most vibrant and dramatic canons in the...

The Heroic Temper: Studies in Sophoclean Tragedy by Bernard Knox This book explores the common patterns and elements that define Sophocles' tragic heroes. Through a close examination of language and...

This collection of features and interviews from the Official Walking Dead Magazine is a must-have for fans of the show. With exclusive content pulled from five years of publication, it's a great way...

The Palgrave Handbook of the Southern Gothic explores the complex and multifaceted nature of 'Southern Gothic' literature. This term encompasses a range of works that draw on the tragedy of slavery,...

Sir William Davenant was known in his time as 'Davenant the Poet', a title that reflects his remarkable literary career. As the son of an Oxford vintner, or possibly the natural son of his godfather,...

The Cambridge Companion to Postcolonial Literary Studies offers a comprehensive introduction and overview of one of the most important strands in recent literary theory and cultural studies. This...

George Steiner's work has had a profound impact on contemporary intellectual discourse. This collection brings together esteemed critics from both sides of the Atlantic to offer a comprehensive...

The Handbag Studio by Thomas Keneally is a unique collection of conversations with notable figures from literature and beyond.From authors like John Fowles, DM Thomas, and Thomas Keneally himself, to...

The Cambridge Companion to Fairy Tales by Maria Tatar explores the historical origins, cultural dissemination and psychological power of fairy stories. International scholars from various academic...

New Essays on The Great Gatsby by Matthew Joseph Bruccoli A collection of essays that explore the enduring significance of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, from its initial mixed reception to its current...

A lively exploration of the great books that shape our culture. In this engaging work, writer and film critic David Denby recounts his personal journey as he re-enrolls in two core courses at...

The body plays a crucial role in our reading experience. In "With Bodies: Narrative Theory and Embodied Cognition", Marco Caracciolo and Karin Kukkonen explore how our entire being engages with...

A Guide to The Comedy of Errors by Alistair McCallum provides a clear and concise introduction to Shakespeare's play. This guide includes a detailed description of the plot, along with explanations...

The Loeb edition of Philostratus' works presents two unique and sophisticated treatises: Heroicus Gymnasticus and its companion Discourses. In Heroicus, a conversation between a vinedresser and a...

Qur'ānic Stories God, Revelation and the Audience by Leyla Ozgur Alhassen explores the Qur'an as a complex literary and religious text that engages its audience. The author examines how Qur'anic...

The Africans Problem and The Late in Advancement 2ND Africans Late State Issue is a thought-provoking exploration of the challenges facing African societies. The authors argue that a lack of...

The Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare provides a comprehensive survey of the entire field of Shakespeare studies. Edited by esteemed scholar Arthur Kinney, this volume brings together forty specially...

Modern Literatures in Spain explores the cultural richness and complexity of Spain's diverse literatures. This book examines how literature reflects cultural responses to historical change, tracing...

Arda Reconstructed: A Critical Analysis of the Published Silmarillion. The published Silmarillion is a unique creation, pieced together from various portions of J.R.R. Tolkien's work over thirty...

Astrofuturism: Science, Race, and Visions of Utopia in Space is an analysis of a movement that sought to address racial difference and social antagonisms through space exploration. De Witt Douglas...

War and Society in Early Rome From Warlords to Generals by Jeremy Armstrong This book offers a fresh perspective on early Roman warfare, combining literary tradition with archaeological evidence to...

This collection offers a groundbreaking feminist analysis of the New York School of poets and artists from the 1950s to the present. Maggie Nelson examines the work of key figures such as Barbara...

The Life of Saint Guthlac by Felix is an important and colourful source for the obscure early history of East Anglia and the Fens. Written around 730-740, it describes how the youthful Guthlac won...

A Century of Weird Fiction, 1832-1937: Disgust, Metaphysics, and the Aesthetics of Cosmic Horror by Jonathan Newell explores the intersection of weird fiction with aesthetics and philosophical...

Black, White, and in Color offers a long-awaited collection of major essays by Hortense Spillers, a leading black critic. Spanning her work from the 1980s to the 1990s, these essays showcase her...

Philip Larkin: A Poet's Concerns A fresh analysis of Philip Larkin's poems, this book explores his major concerns and provides background information on his life and cultural context. Through close...

Discover the humorous side of traditional Japanese poetry with Mad in Translation, a unique collection of 31-syllable poems known as kyoka. This comprehensive anthology brings together over 2000...

Hair by Scott Lowe A beautifully designed exploration of the hidden lives of ordinary things, Hair delves into the complex meanings behind this ubiquitous personal yet public object. From Hittites to...

Margaret Atwood's exploration of the Canadian North is a fascinating insight into the country's imagination. She examines the ways in which writers have engaged with the region, from the folklore...

A comprehensive guide to Gothic writing, its history and genealogy, this updated companion features 12 new essays and a section on 'Global Gothic'.With contributions from leading scholars in the...

Adam Roberts' Sibilant Fricative is a thought-provoking collection of reviews and analyses that span the breadth of speculative fiction. With incisive commentary on authors such as Philip K Dick,...

Albert Camus's L'Etranger is a powerful exploration of modern man's search for meaning in a seemingly indifferent world. This edition provides a full and concise description of Camus's early...

Shakespeare and Gender explores how gender and sexuality are represented in Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. Drawing on contemporary debates and insights into gender and sexuality, this book provides...