This essential guide provides a deeply informed survey of the criticism of all the plays and major stories authored by Brian Friel. Scott Boltwood introduces readers to the key themes that have been used to characterise Friel's entire career …
David Almond is one of the most exciting and innovative authors writing for children and young people today. Since the publication of his award-winning first book, Skellig (1998), his novels have pushed the boundaries of children's literature and …
Nick Bentley provides a comprehensive survey of the most important debates in the criticism and research of contemporary British fiction. Vibrant and approachable, this authoritative guide:
analyses the criticism surrounding a range of British …
This Readers Guide offers a stimulating and accessible introduction to the key criticism which surrounds the diverse range of literatures of the modernist period. Sarah Davison explores a variety of critical works, from initial pronouncements to …
An essential text that provides students with a dynamic, sophisticated and controversial look at the critical representation of the child in children's literature, arguing for a more open and eclectic approach: one that celebrates the diverse …
This Guide examines the key critical responses to Byatt's fiction (both her novels and short stories) tracing the wider debates about realism, postmodernism and feminism with which they engage. The Guide also explores the themes which are central …
This Reader's Guide synthesises the key criticism on Pinter's work over the last half century. Andrew Wyllie and Catherine Rees examine critical approaches and reactions to the major plays, charting the controversies which have arisen in response …
Philip Larkin is widely regarded as one of the greatest English poets of the twentieth century. As such, there is a vast amount of literary criticism surrounding his work.
This Readers' Guide provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of the …
The short story remains a crucial - if neglected - part of British literary heritage. This accessible and up-to-date critical overview maps out the main strands and figures that shaped the British short story and novella from the 1850s to the …
Gabriel García Márquez is considered one of the most significant authors in the Spanish language. Rising to prominence with One Hundred Years of Solitude, his fiction is widely read and studied throughout the world.
This Guide surveys existing criticism and theory, making clear the key critical debates, themes and issues surrounding a wide variety of Irish poets, playwrights and novelists. It relates Irish literature to debates surrounding issues such as …
Melvin Burgess has made a powerful name for himself in the world of children's and young adult literature, emerging in the 1990s as the author of over twenty critically acclaimed novels.
This collection of original essays by a team of established …
J. R. R. Tolkien is arguably the most influential and popular of all fantasy writers. Although his position and status have long been controversial, his popularity has not faded. His best-loved works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, have …
Since its publication in 1982, The Color Purple has polarized critics and generated controversy while delighting many readers around the world. Rachel Lister offers a clear, stimulating and wide-ranging exploration of the critical history of Alice …
Hanif Kureishi is one of the most controversial contemporary British writers. This introduction places his fiction in historical context and explores his relevance to contemporary culture. Including a timeline of key dates and an interview with …
Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 'The Color Purple', is one of America's major and most prolific writers. She is also among its most controversial. How has Walker's work developed over the last forty years? Why has it often provoked …
This updated and expanded new edition reviews Rushdie's novels in the light of recent critical developments. It also features new chapters which examine the author's latest works including Fury (2001), Shalimar the Clown (2005) and The Enchantress …
David Mamet is arguably the most important living American playwright. This Guide provides an up-to-date study of the key criticism on the full range of Mamet's work. It engages with his work in film as well as in the theatre, offering a synoptic …
This comprehensive new study offers a detailed analysis of all of Byatt's fiction and also discusses her critical output. Mariadele Boccardi examines Byatt's work in the light of postmodern concerns with language, narrative and …
This vibrant collection of original essays sheds new light on all of Fowles' writings, with a special focus on The French Lieutenant's Woman as the most widely studied of Fowles' works. The impressive cast of contributors offers an outstanding …