The Oxford Companion to English Literature

Since Sir Paul Harvey's original Oxford Companion to English Literature was published in 1932, it has established itself as the standard source of reference for general readers, as well as an indispensable guide for students and specialists, on all aspects of English literature and English literary culture. In 1985, under the editorship of Margaret Drabble, with a team of distinguished contributors, the text was completely revised while retaining the essential characteristics of Sir...
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Since Sir Paul Harvey's original Oxford Companion to English Literature was published in 1932, it has established itself as the standard source of reference for general readers, as well as an indispensable guide for students and specialists, on all aspects of English literature and English literary culture. In 1985, under the editorship of Margaret Drabble, with a team of distinguished contributors, the text was completely revised while retaining the essential characteristics of Sir Paul Harvey's much-loved volume. Since then, the Companion has continued to respond to the needs of contemporary readers, with a revision, published in 1995, containing sixty new entries on emerging contemporary voices. This new revision continues in this tradition, adding 15 survey articles on important literary concepts to reassert the position of the Companion as the most complete and readable reference guide to English literary culture currently available. No comparable volume offers such extensive coverage of the classical roots of English literature, and of European authors and works that have influenced the development of English literature. Its wide range of articles cover not only authors and their works, but allusion and references, fictional characters, plot summaries, composers and artists, literary and artistic movements, historians, philosophers, scholars, and editors, publishing history, literary societies, newspapers and periodicals, and critical terms and theory. A handsome new format, jacket, and text design reflect the status of the work, which has been held at the same price, making it the best value on the market.