Literature: A Crash Course

by Julian Bell

A quick and easy method to learn the basics of literature

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Books About Books, History, Classics, Writing

144 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 1999

Reviews

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully designed little work remains the single most useful book about literature I have ever bought. Bell can be as pompous as hell, but he gets big credit for being British and writing a guide to literature which doesn't have to struggle to incorporate works from all over the planet. His analysis is often oversimplified, but always funny. This book is a virtually inexhaustible resource for anyone interested in World literature with a capitol "W". Anyone who reads fiction will be able to get something out of it

[Ali Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me over half a year to get through this book. That is how dense it is! I didn't read it everyday, but I felt like I needed at least a day to process all of the information included on just one spread. Most of the time I read the pages twice just to wrap my brain around what it was actually saying, because often the writer uses sarcasm and innuendo and does not just come right out and directly write the facts. This make the book more interesting, but sometimes a little frustrating.

It is very wide and of course not very deep. However, there were places it made me laugh out loud and it was full of interesting facts in the top timeline that were not directly related to literature, but were nonetheless relatable. I used these for regular trivia questions for my boyfriend-- things like Elvis's first hit, the Berlin wall coming down, and other bits of information with little cartoon pictures. It is also full of other pictures--book covers, photographs, etc. I love a good nonfiction with photos and illustrations. I will be keeping this one--not because it is a great reference book but because it was such a little gem. (It is also full of words one could probably add to their vocabulary list to learn.)

[T.E. Antonino · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covered about 3000 years of writing history. Writers have the power to change the way society views itself. There's power in the written word! I found the book amazingly informative. I enjoyed reading the added material on each page. Use the power of the pen wisely!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like this. the author isn't afraid to be a little bitchy; "For some readers (i.e. this one) Flaubert's painstakingly assembled words choke the life out of things;" making the book quite useful.