Literary Criticism
Emily Brontë
Emily Brontë (1818-1848) is best known for her only novel, "Wuthering Heights." She was born in Yorkshire, northern England, …
Characters of Shakespeare's Plays
This famous Shakespearean exploration illuminates its plays through the frame of character, while also weighing theme, mood, structure and p…
Modern Russian Literature
Prince D.S. Mirsky was a prominent Russian literary historian who spent several years in emigration, teaching at the University of London. T…
On the Sublime
What makes a work of writing feel sublime? This ancient treatise on literary style considers how language can rise beyond the merely correct…
The American Language
"It was part of my daily work, for a good many years, to read the principal English newspapers and reviews; it has been part of my work…
Within a Budding Grove
In Search of Lost Time or Remembrance of Things Past (French: À la recherche du temps perdu) is a semi-autobiographical novel in seve…
Prejudices
Mencken sharpens his pen and in a collection of short essays delivers acerbic opinions on issues and persons of the time. Among his targets…
Robert Browning
There is an old anecdote, probably apocryphal, which describes how a feminine admirer wrote to Browning asking him for the meaning of one of…
Stage Land
Stage Land offers a humorous exploration of the eccentricities and peculiarities of theatrical life. Jerome K. Jerome invites listeners into…
Companionable Books
Many books are dry and dusty, there is no juice in them; and many are soon exhausted, you would no more go back to them than to a squeezed o…
The Ordeal of Mark Twain
The Ordeal of Mark Twain analyzes the literary progression of Samuel L. Clemens and attributes shortcomings to Clemens' mother and wife. The…
Shakespeare Identified
That one who is not a recognized authority or an expert in literature should attempt the solution of a problem which has so far baffled spec…
To The Lighthouse
The Ramsey family, with house guests, visit the Isle of Skye at least twice. The plot is not at all the point though, as this is a book abou…
Greek Literature
"The Greeks were the most intellectual people of the old world. … The study of Greek literature is therefore a proper element in a libe…
English Literature
This book is not meant to be a History of English Literature, but an introduction for those who do not know much about it, or who may be thi…
Joseph Conrad
This is a literary biography of Joseph Conrad (1857 – 1924) who is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in English. He was granted Brit…
Bunyan Characters
Bunyan Characters by Alexander Whyte delves into the rich tapestry of characters from John Bunyan's renowned works, particularly focusing on…
The Raven
Poe’s famous narrative poem and the author’s reflections on its composition. (David Wales)
The Writing of Fiction
Edith Wharton, a successful author of fiction herself, gives us some in-depth analysis of the writing of short stories and novels. Then she …
The Spirit of the Age
William Hazlitt was a keen observer of his time and the people populating the literary landscape. He presents short monographs on such illus…