This 'little history' takes on a very big subject: the glorious span of literature from Greek myth to graphic novels, from The Canterbury Tales to Harry Potter. John Sutherland is perfectly suited to the task. He has researched, taught and written on virtually every area of literature, and his infectious passion for books and reading has defined his own life. Now he guides young readers and the grown-ups in their lives on an entertaining journey "through the wardrobe" to a greater awareness of how literature can transport us and help us to make sense of what it means to be human. Sutherland introduces great classics in his own irresistible way, enlivening his offerings with humour as well as learning: Beowulf, Shakespeare, the Romantics, Dickens, Moby Dick, The Waste Land, Woolf, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and dozens of others. He adds to these a less-expected, personal selection of authors and works, including literary works usually considered well below "serious attention" - from the rude jests of Anglo-Saxon runes to The Da Vinci Code. With masterful digressions into various themes - censorship, narrative tricks, self-publishing, taste, creativity and madness - Sutherland demonstrates the full depth and intrigue of reading. For younger readers, he offers a proper introduction to literature, promising to interest as much as instruct. For more experienced readers, he promises just the same.

Informationen zum Autor John Sutherland , Lord Northcliffe Professor Emeritus of Modern English Literature, University College London, has taught students at every level and is the author or editor of more than 20 books. He lives in London. Klappentext A title that takes on a very big subject: the glorious span of literature from Greek myth to graphic novels, from The Canterbury Tales to Harry Potter. With masterful digressions into various themes - censorship, narrative tricks, self-publishing, taste, creativity and madness - it demonstrates the full depth and intrigue of reading. Zusammenfassung A title that takes on a very big subject: the glorious span of literature from Greek myth to graphic novels! from The Canterbury Tales to Harry Potter. With masterful digressions into various themes - censorship! narrative tricks! self-publishing! taste! creativity and madness - it demonstrates the full depth and intrigue of reading.

Autorentext

John Sutherland, Lord Northcliffe Professor Emeritus of Modern English Literature, University College London, has taught students at every level and is the author or editor of more than 20 books. He lives in London.

Klappentext

"An enjoyable account of a lifelong involvement with literature."--John Vukmirovich, Times Literary Supplement This "little history" takes on a very big subject: the glorious span of literature from Greek myth to graphic novels, from The Epic of Gilgamesh to Harry Potter. Beloved author, John Sutherland, who has researched, taught, and written on virtually every area of literature, guides both young readers and the adults in their lives on an entertaining journey "through the wardrobe" to show how literature from across the world can transport us and help us to make sense of what it means to be human. Along the way he introduces us to a wide range of works, enlivening his offerings with humor as well as learning--from Beowulf and Shakespeare to T. S. Eliot and George Orwell, and from the rude jests of Anglo-Saxon runes to The Da Vinci Code. For younger readers, Sutherland offers a proper introduction to literature, promising to interest as much as instruct. For more experienced readers, he promises just the same.