A Brief History of English Literature

by John Peck

A Brief History of English Literature provides a lively introductory guide to English literature from Beowulf to the present day. The authors write in their characteristically lucid style which enables the reader to engage fully with the narrative and easily understand the texts in relation to the social, political and cultural contexts in which they were written. A masterpiece of clarity and compression, this book is a must have for anyone interested in the history of literature from the British Isles.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Literature, Literary Criticism, School

353 pages, Paperback

First published May 17, 2002

Reviews

[Aleksandr Rubtsov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Owe some portion of the mark I've got for the course to this book. It's indeed very brief (to write a holistic overview of the subject seems even more insurmountable to me now) but still valuable, not least because it points out directions for further examination.

[فهد الفهد · Rating 3 out of 5]

الأدب الإنجليزي، تاريخ موجز

شكسبير، ميلتون، دانييل ديفو، سويفت، والتر سكوت، جاين أوستن، الأخوات برونتي، ماري شيللي، ديكنز، توماس هاردي، ستيفنسون، وايلد، برنارد شو، كونراد، كيبلينغ، ويلز، تشيسترتون، سومرست موم، جويس، وولف، لورانس، هكسلي، أورويل، غولدينغ، داريل وآخرين، هذه هي الأسماء التي صنعت الأدب الإنجليزي، وجعلته أحد أهم وأثرى الآداب العالمية، إن مجرد قراءة أعمال هؤلاء تحتاج إلى عمر بحاله، وهذا الكتاب يحاول تناول الأدب الإنجليزي بكل أشكاله الشعرية والنثرية، من الأدب الإنجليزي القديم الذي يفتتح عادة بقصيدة بيوولف الملحمية، إلى أدب القرون الوسطى، مروراً بميلتون وشكسبير، وظهور الرواية وأهم الروائيين الإنجليز.

الكتاب مدرسي نوعاً ما، ويحاول مناقشة الأفكار والنفاذ إلى النصوص التي يطرحها، الترجمة متوسطة وخاصة عندما تترجم النصوص.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the Romantic and Victorian parts, flipped through the others. Loved looking at the transition into Romanticism and then from that into Victorian. Has inspired me to re-read Vanity Fair (or at least watch the movie again). How excellent is it that this novel, written in the 1800s, has no main hero and the heroine isn’t particularly good or likeable and it doesn’t end with her ensconced into the middle class happy ending (married with children). Used the opportunity to delve back into Wordsworth’s work and particularly enjoyed rereading Tintern Abbey. Beyond the attention they pay to nature (the romantics) I also love that they are questioning themselves and their world. The Victorian period appears to question the strict structure of society and the poor are increasingly noticed. Elizabeth Gaskell and Dickens showcased it and asked the question of looking after those less fortunate than you.

[Becky Filipek · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot of good and interesting information in this book. Peck and Coyle provide a narrow focus of English literature over time, being that they seem to bring up authors and works that brought something different to the literary canon, obsessing over works that illuminated anxieties and ones that would disturb audiences, and completely ignored a large amount of writers. The big names are included: Austen, Dickens, Woolf, etc., but very popular writers are only briefly mentioned or aren't at all. Tolkien gets one sentence because The Hobbit had some political themes. Other major authors like Doyle, Christie, and C. S. Lewis may as well not exist. But, what Peck and Coyle set out to do they did well. And, after all, they DID title it "Brief."

[kewan alghofaily · Rating 2 out of 5]

ماأعرف ليه قررت إن النسخة العربية بتكون رهيبة! فعليًا مافهمت شيء، يناقش أفكار سبق ودرستها وكأني أول مرة اسمع فيها!!!
الكتاب مرجع عظيم لكن أفضل لو قريته بالإنجليزي

[Filip · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise look at English literature presented in a witty, memorable way. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Goo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read a good deal to get quick overview.

Probably better suited as a reference after reading the works.

[Candy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for class

[محمد ... · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب لا بأس به ممكن أن يكون مدخل او مختصر للأدب الإنجليزي أو بعض جوانبه,أعتقد أن ترجمة الأشعار كانت حرفية نوعا ما فكانت جافة لا روح للشعر فيها !

تنبيه هناك سقط في اخر الكتاب بما يقارب 5 صفحات

[Hamdah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful book for English literature students/teachers and anyone interested!

[Tahir]

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