Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture – serie

This collection offers students and scholars of Eliot’s work a timely critical reappraisal of her corpus, including her poetry and non-fiction, reflecting the latest developments in literary criticism. It features innovative analysis ­exploring the relation between Eliot’s Victorian intellectual sensibilities and those of our own era. A comprehensive collection of essays written by leading Eliot scholars Offers a contemporary reappraisals of Eliot’s work reflecting a broad range of current academic interests, including religion, science, ethics, politics, and aesthetics  Reflects the very latest developments in  literary scholarshipTraces the revealing links between Eliot’s Victorian intellectual ­concerns and those of today

A Companion to British Literature is a comprehensive guide to British literature and the contexts and ideas that have shaped and transformed it over the past thirteen centuries. Its four volumes cover literature from all periods and places in Britain and demonstrate the wide variety of approaches to studying the subject. Provides an authoritative reference on British literature, and the contexts, writers, and ideas that have shaped and transformed it over the past thirteen centuriesSpans historical, social, political, domestic, linguistic, institutional, and material contextsOffers the most inclusive and far-reaching overview available of British literature from 700-2,000,across four volumes and over 100 chaptersWritten by an internationally diverse range of expert contributors including both distinguished academics and up-and-coming young starsComprises readings from across geographical, cultural, institutional, economic and mediological contextsFeatures a general index and a thematic table of contents to enable readers to navigate the development of British Literature4 Volumes: www.britishliteraturecompanion.com

A COMPANION TO CREATIVE WRITING A Companion to Creative Writing is a comprehensive collection covering myriad aspects of the practice and profession of creative writing in the contemporary world. The book features contributions from an international cast of creative writers, publishers and editors, critics, translators, literary prize judges, and many other top professionals. Chapters not only consider the practice of creative writing in terms of how it is “done,” but also in terms of what occurs in and around creative writing practice. Chapters address a wide range of topics including the writing of poetry and fiction; playwriting and screenwriting; writing for digital media; editing; creative writing and its engagement with language, spirituality, politics, education, and heritage. Other chapters explore the role of literary critics and ideas around authorship, as well as translation and creative writing, the teaching of creative writing, and the histories and character of the marketplace, prizes, awards, and literary events. With its unprecedented breadth of coverage, A Companion to Creative Writing is an indispensable resource for those who are undertaking creative writing, studying creative writing at any level, or considering studying creative writing.

A Companion to Charles Dickens concentrates on the historical, ideological, and social forces that defined Dickens’s world. Puts Dickens’s work into its literary, historical, and social contextsTraces the development of Dickens’s career as a journalist and novelistIncludes original essays by leading Dickensian scholars on each of Dickens’s fifteen novelsExplores a broad range of topics, including criticisms of his novels, the use of history and law in his fiction, language, and the effect of political and social reformExamines Dickens's legacy and surveys the mass of secondary materials that has been generated in response and reverence to his writing

A COMPANION TO SATIRE A COMPANION TO SATIRE “This book forms a substantial contribution to literary studies and is likely to be the standard work on the subject for a decade or two …. The chapters are densely detailed, the vocabulary elevated.”Reference Reviews “This sturdy volume should be of use to a variety of readers from advanced undergraduates to scholars seeking refresher (or crash) courses on either major”Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 “Offering a valuable contribution to the critical study of satire, Quintero has assembled insightful essays by an impressive roster of scholars...This book serves as a cogent, instructive overview of satire.”Choice “This book obviously brings to readers a dazzling variety of topics relating to satire. There is a rich abundance of material here, surely something for everyone. Indeed, the quality of these essays is uniformly high.”Notes and Queries This collection of twenty-nine original essays surveys satire from its emergence in Western literature to the present. The Companion is extraordinary in its historical scope, tracking satire from its first appearances in the prophetic books of the Old Testament through the Renaissance and the English tradition in satire to Michael Moore’s satirical movie Fahrenheit 9/11. While many essays explore literary developments in satire from an historical view, other essays reflect directly on topics such as irony and satire, modes of satirical mockery, the mock-biblical, and the character sketch. All of the contributors are experts published in their field, and all are experienced teachers who can treat complex and rich subjects with insight and clarity. Contributors to this volume: Joseph F. Bartolomeo, W. Scott Blanchard, Frank Boyle, Peter Brier, Valentine Cunningham, Edwin M. Duval, James Engell, Alberta Gatti, Russell Goulbourne, Dustin Griffin, Christopher J. Herr, Thomas Jemielity, Ejner J. Jensen, Steven E. Jones, Claudia Thomas Kairoff, Catherine Keane, Laura Kendrick, José Lanters, Jean I. Marsden, Linda A. Morris, Frank Palmeri, Blanford Parker, Ronald Paulson, Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit, Ruben Quintero, Melinda Alliker Rabb, Timothy Steele, Michael F. Suarez, David F. Venturo.

A Companion to James Joyce offers a unique composite overview and analysis of Joyce's writing, his global image, and his growing impact on twentieth- and twenty-first-century literatures. Brings together 25 newly-commissioned essays by some of the top scholars in the fieldExplores Joyce's distinctive cultural place in Irish, British and European modernism and the growing impact of his work elsewhere in the worldA comprehensive and timely Companion to current debates and possible areas of future development in Joyce studiesOffers new critical readings of several of Joyce's works, including Dubliners, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and Ulysses

A COMPANION TO MODERNIST POETRY A Companion to Modernist Poetry A Companion to Modernist Poetry presents contemporary approaches to modernist poetry in a uniquely in-depth and accessible text. The first section of the volume reflects the attention to historical and cultural context that has been especially fruitful in recent scholarship. The second section focuses on various movements and groupings of poets, placing writers in literary history and indicating the currents and countercurrents whose interaction generated the category of modernism as it is now broadly conceived. The third section traces the arcs of twenty-one poets’ careers, illustrated by analyses of key works. The Companion thus offers breadth in its presentation of historical and literary contexts and depth in its attention to individual poets; it brings recent scholarship to bear on the subject of modernist poetry while also providing guidance on poets who are historically important and who are likely to appear on syllabi and to attract critical interest for many years to come. Edited by two highly respected and notable critics in the field, A Companion to Modernist Poetry boasts a varied list of contributors who have produced an intense, focused study of modernist poetry.

A Companion to American Gothic features a collection of original essays that explore America’s gothic literary tradition. The largest collection of essays in the field of American GothicContributions from a wide variety of scholars from around the worldThe most complete coverage of theory, major authors, popular culture and non-print media available

This companion offers a wide-ranging introduction to the rapidly expanding field of translation studies, bringing together some of the best recent scholarship to present its most important current themes Features new work from well-known scholarsIncludes a broad range of geo-linguistic and theoretical perspectivesOffers an up-to-date overview of an expanding fieldA thorough introduction to translation studies for both undergraduates and graduatesMulti-disciplinary relevance for students with diverse career goals

This Companion offers a chronological sweep of the canon of Arthurian literature - from its earliest beginnings to the contemporary manifestations of Arthur found in film and electronic media. Part of the popular series, Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture, this expansive volume enables a fundamental understanding of Arthurian literature and explores why it is still integral to contemporary culture. Offers a comprehensive survey from the earliest to the most recent worksFeatures an impressive range of well-known international contributorsExamines contemporary additions to the Arthurian canon, including film and computer gamesUnderscores an understanding of Arthurian literature as fundamental to western literary tradition

Reflecting the dynamic and expansive nature of Austen studies, A Companion to Jane Austen provides 42 essays from a distinguished team of literary scholars that examine the full breadth of the English novelist's works and career. Provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date array of Austen scholarshipFunctions both as a scholarly reference and as a survey of the most innovative speculative developments in the field of Austen studiesEngages at length with changing contexts and cultures of reception from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries

The Companion focusses on the international intellectual movement of the Enlightenment, and the individuals who shaped it. A number of substantial essays survey the main topics of dictionaries, encyclopedias, art, music and theatre, while central philosophical concepts such as human nature are also examined. Specialized topics receive short definitions and there are several hundred biographies. Chronology. 100 halftones. Bibliographies. Index.

The Companion combines a broad grounding in the essential texts and contexts of the modernist movement with the unique insights of scholars whose careers have been devoted to the study of modernism. An essential resource for students and teachers of modernist literature and cultureBroad in scope and comprehensive in coverageIncludes more than 60 contributions from some of the most distinguished modernist scholars on both sides of the AtlanticBrings together entries on elements of modernist culture, contemporary intellectual and aesthetic movements, and all the genres of modernist writing and artFeatures 25 essays on the signal texts of modernist literature, from James Joyce’s Ulysses to Zora Neal Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching GodPays close attention to both British and American modernism

This Companion is a standard reference work for scholars and students of the Gothic from its origins to the present day. Providing stimulating insights into Gothic writing, its history and genealogy, it offers coverage of criticism of the Gothic and of the various theoretical approaches it has inspired and spawned.

This cutting-edge Companion is a comprehensive resource for the study of the modern American novel. Published at a time when literary modernism is being thoroughly reassessed, it reflects current investigations into the origins and character of the movement as a whole. Brings together 28 original essays from leading scholarsAllows readers to orient individual works and authors in their principal cultural and social contextsContributes to efforts to recover minority voices, such as those of African American novelists, and popular subgenres, such as detective fictionDirects students to major relevant scholarship for further inquirySuggests the many ways that “modern”, “American” and “fiction” carry new meanings in the twenty-first century

This acclaimed volume explores and unravels the contexts, readings, genres, intertextualities and debates within Anglo-Saxon studies. Brings together specially-commissioned contributions from a team of leading European and American scholars.Embraces both the literature and the cultural background of the period.Combines the discussion of primary material and manuscript sources with critical analysis and readings.Considers the past, present and future of Anglo-Saxon studies

This definitive Companion provides a critical overview of literary culture in the period from John Milton to William Blake. Its broad chronological range responds to recent reshapings of the canon and identifies new directions of study. The Companion is composed of over fifty contributions from leading scholars in the field, its essays offer students a comprehensive and accessible survey of the field from a wide range of perspectives. It also, however, gives researchers and faculty the opportunity to update their acquaintance with new critical and scholarly work. The volume meets the needs of an intellectual world increasingly given over to inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary study by covering philosophical, political, cultural and historical writing, as well as literary writing. Unlike other similar volumes, the main body of the Companion consists of readings of individual texts, both those commonly and less commonly studied.

Designed as both a contribution to original research and as a stimulating and accessible text, this volume is a helpful, reliable, responsive and adaptable resource for students of Chaucer at all levels.

The diverse and controversial world of contemporary Milton studies is brought alive in this stimulating Companion. Winner of the Milton Society of America's Irene Samuels Book Award in 2002.Invites readers to explore and enjoy Milton's rich and fascinating work.Comprises 29 fresh and powerful readings of Milton's texts and the contexts in which they were created, each written by a leading scholar.Looks at literary production and cultural ideologies, issues of politics, gender and religion, individual Milton texts, other relevant contemporary texts and responses to Milton over time.Devotes a whole chapter to each major poem, and four to Paradise Lost.Conveys the excitement of recent developments in the field.

This timely volume represents one of the first comprehensive, student-oriented guides to the under-published field of early modern women's writing. Brings together more than twenty leading international scholars to provide the definitive survey volume to the field of early modern women's writingExamines individual texts, including works by Mary Sidney, Margaret Cavendish and Aphra BehnExplores the historical context and generic diversity of early modern women's writing, as well as the theoretical issues that underpin its studyProvides a clear sense of the full extent of women's contributions to early modern literary culture

Thirty leading Victorianists from around the world collaborate here in a multidimensional analysis of the breadth and sweep of modern Britain's longest, unruliest literary epoch.

The Companion to Romanticism is a major introductory survey from an international galaxy of scholars writing new pieces, specifically for a student readership, under the editorship of Duncan Wu.

A Companion to Shakespeare is an indispensable book for students and teachers of Shakespeare, indeed for anyone with an interest in his plays. Contains 28 newly commissioned essays written by the most distinguished historians and literary scholarsSituates Shakespeare in the historical and cultural conditions in which he wrote

This Companion illustrates the vitality and diversity of dramatic work 1660 to 1710. Twenty-five essays by leading scholars in the field bring together the best recent insights into the full range of dramatic practice and innovation at the time. Introduces readers to the recent boom in scholarship that has revitalised Restoration dramaExplores historical and cultural contexts, genres of Restoration drama, and key dramatists, among them Dryden and Behn

This expansive, inter-disciplinary guide to Renaissance plays and the world they played to gives readers a colorful overview of England's great dramatic age. Provides an expansive and inter-disciplinary approach to Renaissance plays and the world they played to.Offers a colourful and comprehensive overview of the material conditions of England's most important dramatic period.Gives readers facts and data along with up-to-date interpretation of the plays.Looks at the drama in terms of its cultural agency, its collaborative nature, and its ideological complexity.

A Companion to Medieval English Literature and Culture, c.1350-c.1500 challenges readers to think beyond a narrowly defined canon and conventional disciplinary boundaries. A ground-breaking collection of newly-commissioned essays on medieval literature and culture. Encourages students to think beyond a narrowly defined canon and conventional disciplinary boundaries.Reflects the erosion of the traditional, rigid boundary between medieval and early modern literature.Stresses the importance of constructing contexts for reading literature.Explores the extent to which medieval literature is in dialogue with other cultural products, including the literature of other countries, manuscripts and religion.Includes close readings of frequently-studied texts, including texts by Chaucer, Langland, the Gawain poet, and Hoccleve.Confronts some of the controversies that exercise students of medieval literature, such as those connected with literary theory, love, and chivalry and war.

The Companion to the Victorian Novel provides contextual and critical information about the entire range of British fiction published between 1837 and 1901. Provides contextual and critical information about the entire range of British fiction published during the Victorian period.Explains issues such as Victorian religions, class structure, and Darwinism to those who are unfamiliar with them.Comprises original, accessible chapters written by renowned and emerging scholars in the field of Victorian studies.Ideal for students and researchers seeking up-to-the-minute coverage of contexts and trends, or as a starting point for a survey course.

This Companion brings together specially commissioned essays by distinguished international scholars that reflect both the diversity of Victorian poetry and the variety of critical approaches that illuminate it. Approaches Victorian poetry by way of genre, production and cultural context, rather than through individual poets or poemsDemonstrates how a particular poet or poem emerges from a number of overlapping cultural contexts.Explores the relationships between work by different poetsRecalls attention to a considerable body of poetry that has fallen into neglectEssays are informed by recent developments in textual and cultural theoryConsiders Victorian women poets in every chapter

From slave narratives to the Civil War, and from country music to Southern sport, this Companion is the definitive guide to the literature and culture of the American South. Includes discussion of the visual arts, music, society, history, and politics in the regionCombines treatment of major literary works and historical events with a survey of broader themes, movements and issuesExplores the work of Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, William Faulkner, Zora Neale Huston, Flannery O'Connor and Eudora Welty, as well as those - black and white, male and female - who are writing nowCo-edited by the esteemed scholar Richard Gray, author of the acclaimed volume, A History of American Literature (Blackwell, 2003)