--- product_id: 63565111 title: "English Literature: A Very Short Introduction" price: "217.57 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/63565111-english-literature-a-very-short-introduction store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # Covers 2,000 years of English lit history Explores ethnic diversity in British literature 167 pages of rich literary insight English Literature: A Very Short Introduction **Price:** 217.57 DT **Availability:** βœ… In Stock ## Summary > πŸ“– Unlock the legacy of English literature β€” be the insider who truly gets it. ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** English Literature: A Very Short Introduction - **How much does it cost?** 217.57 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/63565111-english-literature-a-very-short-introduction) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - β€’ **Compact Powerhouse:** 167 pages of passionate, thought-provoking content perfect for busy minds craving cultural capital. - β€’ **Deep-Dive Analysis:** Engage with close readings of iconic works like King Lear and contemporary war poetry. - β€’ **Diverse Voices Amplified:** Discover the multicultural roots and Nobel laureates shaping modern British writing. - β€’ **Timeless Literary Journey:** From Chaucer to Woolf, traverse two millennia of English literature in one concise volume. - β€’ **Expertly Curated & Accessible:** Jonathan Bate’s acclaimed scholarship makes complex themes approachable for professionals and students alike. ## Overview Jonathan Bate’s 'English Literature: A Very Short Introduction' is a 167-page masterclass that spans two millennia of English literary history, blending sweeping historical context with incisive analysis. This compact yet comprehensive guide highlights major movements, iconic authors, and the rich multicultural fabric of British literature, making it an essential read for professionals and students eager to deepen their cultural literacy and stay ahead in literary conversations. ## Description Sweeping across two millennia and every literary genre, acclaimed scholar and biographer Jonathan Bate provides a dazzling introduction to English Literature. The focus is wide, shifting from the birth of the novel and the brilliance of English comedy to the deep Englishness of landscape poetry and the ethnic diversity of Britain's Nobel literature laureates. It goes on to provide a more in-depth analysis, with close readings from an extraordinary scene in King Lear to a war poem by Carol Ann Duffy, and a series of striking examples of how literary texts change as they are transmitted from writer to reader. The narrative embraces not only the major literary movements such as Romanticism and Modernism, together with the most influential authors including Chaucer, Donne, Johnson, Wordsworth, Austen, Dickens and Woolf, but also little-known stories such as the identity of the first English woman poet to be honoured with a collected edition of her works. Written with the flair and passion for which Jonathan Bate has become renowned, this book is the perfect Very Short Introduction for all readers and students of the incomparable literary heritage of these islands. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. Review: Contextualising text - There's a lot of ground to cover in Eng Lit: 'sweeping across two millennia and every literary genre', as the inside flap promises. For a while, it seems as though the need to cram everything in might be the book's undoing - even though at 167pp it's one of the longer Shorts. Such worries are premature: analysis comfortably outweighs potted literary history. For me, it isn't the chapter on Shakespeare (Bate's specialism) that forms the book's highlight, but the last two, on the novel and on multicultural English. In the first of these, the development of the 'stream of consciousness' in such novels as Ulysses and Orlando is considered in relation to recent work in brain science. As with The Genius of Shakespeare, therefore, Bate shows a willingness to look beyond the confines of his own subject in order to understand it more fully. And in his concluding chapter, entitled The Englishness of English Literature?, Bate examines a diversity that has characterised the literature of these islands since even the pre-modern, pre-mass immigration era, with its sharp political, religious and social divisions. Witty as well as thought-provoking, the book is itself literary (I noted homage to EM Forster and Blake, and doubtless missed other instances) in a way that will probably appeal to those who are 'in' without annoying those who aren't. It is also wide-ranging, up to date and perceptive (Coleridge and Hazlitt are seen as the originators of opposing 'formalist' and 'historicist' schools of criticism). With so much to commend it, we might even excuse its rather sniffy attitude to the on-line review - the 'free-for-all ... in which everyone is a critic'. Bate does, after all, concede that such electronic chat may just be an extension of the democratisation that began in the C18 coffee house. Ultimately, therefore, one of the more inspired and inspiring VSIs. Review: Excellent introduction to English Literature or a good nostalgia fix for post-graduates - I studied Eng Lit at Oxford in the late 80s. I was asked to recommend some Classics for a teenager who is getting interested in reading. I bought this book to give myself a refresher - as my recent reading has been mainly Scandi crime and literary best-sellers. It really fit the bill and reminded me of some of the wonderful books and poetry I have read over the years - plus some of the gaps. I've now ordered some new translations of Old English lit - something I thought I would not go back to. The book is obviously a subjective view of literature, but it is so much more than a chronological description. Bate approaches it from the angle of posing interesting questions about literature. Really enjoyed it, thank you. ## Features - New Store Stock ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 267,777 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 4,253 in Poetry & Drama Criticism | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 209 Reviews | ## Images ![English Literature: A Very Short Introduction - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81F5Uv4jYXL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Contextualising text *by J***S on 18 September 2011* There's a lot of ground to cover in Eng Lit: 'sweeping across two millennia and every literary genre', as the inside flap promises. For a while, it seems as though the need to cram everything in might be the book's undoing - even though at 167pp it's one of the longer Shorts. Such worries are premature: analysis comfortably outweighs potted literary history. For me, it isn't the chapter on Shakespeare (Bate's specialism) that forms the book's highlight, but the last two, on the novel and on multicultural English. In the first of these, the development of the 'stream of consciousness' in such novels as Ulysses and Orlando is considered in relation to recent work in brain science. As with The Genius of Shakespeare, therefore, Bate shows a willingness to look beyond the confines of his own subject in order to understand it more fully. And in his concluding chapter, entitled The Englishness of English Literature?, Bate examines a diversity that has characterised the literature of these islands since even the pre-modern, pre-mass immigration era, with its sharp political, religious and social divisions. Witty as well as thought-provoking, the book is itself literary (I noted homage to EM Forster and Blake, and doubtless missed other instances) in a way that will probably appeal to those who are 'in' without annoying those who aren't. It is also wide-ranging, up to date and perceptive (Coleridge and Hazlitt are seen as the originators of opposing 'formalist' and 'historicist' schools of criticism). With so much to commend it, we might even excuse its rather sniffy attitude to the on-line review - the 'free-for-all ... in which everyone is a critic'. Bate does, after all, concede that such electronic chat may just be an extension of the democratisation that began in the C18 coffee house. Ultimately, therefore, one of the more inspired and inspiring VSIs. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent introduction to English Literature or a good nostalgia fix for post-graduates *by S***R on 17 August 2013* I studied Eng Lit at Oxford in the late 80s. I was asked to recommend some Classics for a teenager who is getting interested in reading. I bought this book to give myself a refresher - as my recent reading has been mainly Scandi crime and literary best-sellers. It really fit the bill and reminded me of some of the wonderful books and poetry I have read over the years - plus some of the gaps. I've now ordered some new translations of Old English lit - something I thought I would not go back to. The book is obviously a subjective view of literature, but it is so much more than a chronological description. Bate approaches it from the angle of posing interesting questions about literature. Really enjoyed it, thank you. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stimulating *by D***C on 27 February 2013* This one really does do what it says on the cover. The scope is broad, broader than I expected. The book is structured by taking different types of literature (play poem or novel for example) and meandering through the history of the form with wonderful insights to the context of different writers. The opening chapter on children's literature was particularly surprising a rewarding. I'm not sure how big the audience that would value this book is. It is perfect for me; someone who loves books but has never really taken any academic interest in them. For some it may not be deep enough, but then it is meant to be a short introduction. ## Frequently Bought Together - English Literature: A Very Short Introduction - Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction - Classical Literature: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - πŸ›’ **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** β€” Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** β€” Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - πŸ’° **No Hidden Fees** β€” All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - πŸ”„ **15-Day Free Returns** β€” Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - πŸ”’ **Secure Payments** β€” Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** β€” Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/63565111-english-literature-a-very-short-introduction](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/63565111-english-literature-a-very-short-introduction) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-07-06*