A short history of English literature

By George Saintsbury

Book Overview

How did English writing become itself? From alliterative verse to the Victorian novel, George Saintsbury maps the forces that shaped a language and a nation. It reads with lucid urgency. A compact guide to reading, and to the minds behind it. Saintsbury, a leading voice of nineteenth century literary criticism, delivers an english literature survey that doubles as a literary history textbook: concise chapters tracing the development of English language alongside the changing tastes of the British literary tradition. It stands as classic literary criticism in miniature. Expect confident guidance through medieval to victorian england, with sharp attention to british poetry and prose and to the major english authors who defined each age. In the spirit of a Cambridge English literature history, it balances dates and movements with the pleasures of style: why a line sings, how a sentence turns, what a form makes possible. First published at the turn of the twentieth century, it helped set the terms for modern literary history, valuing judgement as well as information. For the casual reader, it is a swift, stylish orientation; for classic-literature collectors, a key witness to how England once read itself. Republished by Alpha Editions in a careful modern edition, this volume preserves the spirit of the original while making it effortless to enjoy today -- a heritage title prepared for readers and collectors alike.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9353708125
• ISBN13: 9789353708122
• Release Date: June 2019
• Publisher: Alpha Edition
• Length: 848 Pages
• Weight: 2.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.9" x 5.5" x 8.5"