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A Little History of Literature (Little Histories) Paperback – Illustrated, September 30, 2014

by John Sutherland (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 308 ratings
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“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.
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  1. Part of series
    Little Histories
  2. Print length
    275 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Yale University Press
  5. Publication date
    September 30, 2014
  6. Dimensions
    8.65 x 4.93 x 0.8 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0300205317
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0300205312
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Written in prose that is clear and free from the diktat of theory and criticism, A Little History of Literature is an enjoyable account of a lifelong involvement with literature."—John Vukmirovich, Times Literary Supplement

"A genial, enthusiastic guide leads a jaunt through literary history. . . . [Sutherland’s] aim is not to draw a line between high art and low, but to share his prodigious joy of reading."—Kirkus Reviews

"This slim book makes for a necessarily cursory review of literature’s greats – and the loving treatment by an expert . . . will please both novices and established readers looking to dip back into well-loved works."—Shelf Awareness

"John Sutherland is among the handful of critics whose every book I must have. He's sharp-eyed and sharp-tongued, with a generous heart and a wise head."—Jay Parini

About the Author

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.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yale University Press; Illustrated edition (September 30, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 275 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0300205317
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0300205312
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.65 x 4.93 x 0.8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 308 ratings

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  1. John Sutherland

    John Sutherland

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  2. Little Histories

    Little Histories

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    a little history of...

    We are more resilient during challenging times if we keep learning and expanding our minds; not just through childhood, but in all stages of life. Following in the footsteps of E. H. Gombrich's worldwide bestseller A Little History of the World, the books in our Little Histories series explore the history of the world's most remarkable people, events and ideas. With engaging personal insights, our authors will take you on a whistle-stop journey from ancient times to the present exploring all of life's big subjects from archaeology to science.

    ‘Have you ever come across an old school exercise book or something else you once wrote and, on leafing through it, been amazed at how much you have changed in such a short time? Amazed by your mistakes, but also by the good things you had written? Yet at the time you hadn’t noticed that you were changing. Well, the history of the world is just the same.’ – E. H. Gombrich, A Little History of the World

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
308 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Poet Bob
5.0 out of 5 stars A must- read!
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2021
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Very interesting and entertaining and informative. Puts things in perspective. Fun to read.
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MMD
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, Lite
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2024
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I read this little history of literature in three or four nights. The author is pleasant enough, and he covers a lot of material. Neither he nor the book is "deep." The book covers too much to be deep, but it is entertaining and non-threatening. It didn't rock my world, but it was pleasant enough as a reading experience.
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Don Donahue
5.0 out of 5 stars Can Jane Eyre Be Happy? and their successors -- is not to be ...
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2015
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John Sutherland's books are always hugely enjoyable, with lots of informative tidbits scattered throughout. This is a little more programmatic than others of his I've read (his series on 19th Century novels -- Is Heathcliff a Murderer? Can Jane Eyre Be Happy? and their successors -- is not to be missed), but always thoughtful with interesting perspectives on his literary subjects.
One person found this helpful
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Keith C.
5.0 out of 5 stars Good things come in Little books
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2019
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Exactly what you’d expect -the early chapter on mystery plays was especially interesting and provided some fresh information
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jimbo down under
3.0 out of 5 stars Useful
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2014
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A very interesting and useful book. A good coverage of the subject in a not too heavy manner. Good basis for a reading programme.
2 people found this helpful
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Nungulba
5.0 out of 5 stars Modest Title but Hugely Enjoyable!
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2013
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Having read Sutherland's Lives of the Novelists, and listened to his marvelous lecture series on British Literature (via Audible) I knew I was in for a treat. And this new book did not disappoint, being (as it was) written in Professor Sutherland's distinctive style.
I was never bored; rather, I was inspired to read MORE. I can genuinely recommend this book to anyone who needs a good reason to return to Literature. And for those who never left it, Sutherland will help you to get even more out of reading.
5 people found this helpful
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archaeon
4.0 out of 5 stars A Little History of Literature (in English)
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2013
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He might as well have called it A Little History of Western Literature given his scant mention of any historical development in the eastern front save for the current writers Mo Yan from China who is a Nobel Laureate and Haruki Murakami from Japan who has a global following, both of which were only mentioned in passing. Substitute English for Western and the book becomes even more accurate, because after quick brushstrokes on the precursors of literature in the west, dedicating 4 out of 40 chapters on myths, epics and tragedies from various old world superpowers, he formally begins to follow the trail of literature in English beginning with Chaucer's Cantebury Tales.

These gripes aside, this 'little history' will satisfy lovers of literature like me who are interested to follow the treasure trail of developments in the tools (printing and publishing), authorship (copyright laws), milieus (romanticism, modernism, post modernism, dystopian, absurdist, existentialist, metaphysical, magic realism, etc), types (novels, poetry, plays, criticism) and trends (reading groups, bestsellers, ebooks, adaptations, literary prizes, etc) that lead us to the book that we have in our hands.

Easter eggs such as discovering that italics is so named because the first designer of the slanted type is from Italy, that font is so called because these are the receptacles of shapes where molten lead is poured to create the type, and that these fonts are stored in cases where the capital letters are found in the upper case, all add to the fun of reading this book. Many other tidbits such as these are inconspicuously found all over, and discovering them adds to the fun of reading.

Knowing the tumultuous and multi-branched scope of literature's historical development in this book gave me greater appreciation of all the books I've read and will read, and for that alone I cherish this book and highly recommend its reading.
18 people found this helpful
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circlesforever
5.0 out of 5 stars compact but full of info
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2015
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Loved this book! Amazingly compact but full of flavor and information, this book makes you love literature that much more. Wonderfully organized, easy to understand. A quick read. John Sutherland is a wonderful historian and writer.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Margarida
4.0 out of 5 stars Bom
Reviewed in Spain on December 15, 2023
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Uso próprio. Boa qualidade e apresentação. Tal qual como anunciado.
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ob
5.0 out of 5 stars A very good introduction
Reviewed in Germany on February 20, 2023
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Very interesting book for people who want to get a glimpse of what is out there to read
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wbelgarath
5.0 out of 5 stars Good series.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 1, 2023
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The "A Little History" series is a great start to knowledge of particular themes.
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JMR
5.0 out of 5 stars Buen libro
Reviewed in Mexico on December 11, 2020
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Muy lindas ediciones, fáciles de cargar, lindo contenido!
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Sabrina W.
5.0 out of 5 stars Unterhaltsame und hilfreiche Lektüre
Reviewed in Germany on November 3, 2019
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Ich hab mir das Buch als Hilfe für das Überblickswissen für mein Englisch-Staatsexamen bestellt. Durch den netten Schreibstil wurde (die für mich) trockene Literaturgeschichte sogar unterhaltsam. Der Autor hat es geschafft, sich auf die wichtigsten Infos zu konzentrieren, so dass die Kapitel eine angenehme Länge haben und man einen guten Überblick über das jeweilige Thema bekommt. Die kleinen Zeichnungen jedem Kapitel sind außerdem eine nette Ergänzung :)
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