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For South Asians, food regularly plays a role in how issues of race, class, gender, ethnicity, and national identity are imagined as well as how notions of belonging are affirmed or resisted. "Culinary Fictions" provides food for thought as it considers the metaphors literature, film, and TV shows use to describe Indians abroad. When an immigrant mother in Jhumpa Lahiri's "The Namesake", combines Rice Krispies, Planters peanuts, onions, salt, lemon juice, and green chili peppers to create a dish similar to one found on Calcutta sidewalks, it not only evokes the character's Americanization, but also her nostalgia for India. Food, Anita Mannur writes, is a central part of the cultural imagination of diasporic populations, and "Culinary Fictions" maps how it figures in various expressive forms. Mannur examines the cultural production from the Anglo-American reaches of the South Asian diaspora. Using texts from novels - Chitra Divakaruni's "Mistress of Spices", and Shani Mootoo's "Cereus Blooms at Night" - to cookbooks such as Madhur Jaffrey's "Invitation to Indian Cooking" and Padma Lakshmi's "Easy Exotic", she illustrates how national identities are consolidated in culinary terms. ... Read more

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Beautifully written and thought provoking.
Anita Mannur's book Culinary Fictions opens one's mind in exploring the representation of South Asian food and the discourse surrounding it in relation to South Asian communities all over the world. Deftly weaving in discussions of everything from episodes of Sex in the City and the film Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle to Jhumpa Lahiri's novels and short stories and Padma Lakshmi's television appearances, Mannur's readings impress the reader with both their range and her ability to place familiar objects in fresh, new, and thought provoking contexts. While this is a book for academic readers, Mannur steers clear of jargon and invites the reader through beautifully rendered prose. Her discussions should be of interest to anybody interested in food, media studies, South Asian culture in the diaspora, Asian-American Studies and literature, and immigration. ... Read more

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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 drama
  
• Explores historical and cultural contexts, genres of Restoration drama, and key dramatists, among them Dryden and Behn

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A golden age of childrens classics in one anthology. From Alice in wonderland to Winnie-The-Pooh; creating the secret gardens of childhood literatures. ... Read more

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This volume provides a reference to Anglo-Welsh and Welsh literature. It has been corrected, updated and revised since its original printing in 1986 and includes over 150 new pages, 400 new sections including contemporary writers, and features over 320 contributors and 3300 entries. ... Read more

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Thegreatest encyclopedia of Welsh culture ever written
I enjoyed the original edition of this work ('The Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales', 1986). This completely revised and up-dated version has increased the content by some 400 new entries (approximately 150 more pages) and all in all there are 3,250 entries. The editor Prof. Meic Stephens needs no introduction. He is one of the greatest scholars and specialists in his field (and not to be confused with the Welsh singer and poet Meic Stevens - for whom there is also an entry in this work). The entries from pages 1-825 range from 'A oes heddwch?' (i.e. 'is there peace' - the cry of the archdruid in the 'Gorsedd' ceremony) to the 'Zeitschrift fur Celtische Philologie' (Ger. Journal for Celtic Philology).
In addition to the main dictionary entries there is a preface as well as a useful pronunciation guide for non-Welsh-speakers. There is also a list of the 320 contributors. At the end of the work there is a chronologyof important historical and literary events which have marked Wales, culminating in the 1999 elections for the Welsh Assembly. This is followed by a threefold appendix pertaining to the 'eisteddfod' (Welsh festival of literature and culture). Even though many entries are from the Welsh language, the order of the companion reflects the English rather than Welsh alphabetical order. For instance, the 'ffon wen' ('white stick' -the once sick custom of sending a peeled hazel rod to mock the jilted man on the day of his girlfriend's wedding) appears before 'fran wen, y'(the mythical'white crow' invoked when talking to children). However, in a Welsh dictionary words beggining 'ff' would appear after all word with 'f'. Similarly, the 'llatai' ('love messenger' - usually a device in the form of a bird etc. with which a poet conveys his message) would normally appear after not before the entry on the 'London Welsh'.
This work is amazing in its wide range of content matter. The literature of Wales in all its forms is represented in clear, informative and concise entries. The companion deals with boththe literature written in the Welsh-languageand Anglo-Welsh literary forms (i.e. written by Welsh authors or poets in English). Perhaps the most famous Anglo-Welsh writer of international repute was Dylan Thomas (for whom there is a long detailed entry as well as entries on his major works and characters from those works). The writers of Anglo-Welsh literature often use the finest examples of English but also occasionallydialect - forms of 'Wenglish' (Welsh-English). Perhaps the most interesting genre of Anglo-Welsh literature is the short story form. The magazines 'Cambrensis' and 'the New Welsh Review' have pioneered this art form whereas other magazines like 'Planet' have just restricted this form by pandering only to well-known authors or authors of exotic provenance as well as promoting the editor's own work but never giving a voice to new Welsh talent (in the days ofthe original editor Ned Thomas, 'Planet' was a more powerful magazine).As this new companion shows, there is so much fresh talent in Wales today. Many short story writers have become renowned novelists and many Welsh poets have alsogained international fame.For instance, R.S. Thomas (who passed away only a couple ofyears after the publication of this companion) was one of the greatest poets WORLDWIDE and even nominated for the Nobel prize for literature.
By contrast, the Welsh language is marked by different traditions. Welsh-language poetry used literally hundreds of unique forms of poetic verse.An understanding of these poetic forms is essential to an appreciation of Welsh poetry. Thus there are entries on most of the major poetic forms : the 'cynghanedd', 'pryddest' and 'cywydd', 'sangiad' and 'gorchan' etc., to name but a few. All these very subtle terms are carefully explained with clear examples. The only problem I feel is that in the cases of the 'englyn' and the 'cynghanedd', for instance, the metre and alliterative patterns are illustrated by using English-language examples whereas extracts from actual Welsh verse (albeit with a translation provided) would have been better.
Wales was for centuries under English/Saxon rule, analogous with the position of the American Indians in their own homeland(incidentally, one entry of this companion deals with the so-called 'Welsh Indians' theMandan tribe descendants of Prince Madoc who supposedly visited America four centuries before Columbus). It is to be expected that, from the Welsh people'sservitude (and from their hope for freedom and justice) patriotism has alwaysbeen an important element in Welsh literary thought. In the medieval vaticinatory verse, for example, poets often looked tothe coming of a future 'mab darogan' or 'son of prophecy' who would come and redeem their nation. Indeeed, history is invariably inextricably linked with the literature of Wales through all stages of its evolution. It is therefore not incongruous to see a rich selection of political and historical entries that range from the ancient Laws of Hywel Dda (i.e. the Good) to concepts like 'cymhortha'. The political unrest of the C19th saw the activity of movements in Wales like the Rebecca Riots and the Scotch Cattle. Then in the C20th many Welsh people believed that their deliverer had come when Welshman David Lloyd George became prime minister of Britain. However, Welsh Nationalists even today regard him as a traitor to their cause and to the Welsh language which he did nothing to save. He compromised his pristineprofessions of Welsh patriotismfor his own political ambitions. Moreover, his token reforms were nothing compared with what a government of Kier Hardy's Labour Party would have achieved. Even though he is called the 'Welsh Wizard' (a title more aptly given also to the boxer Freddy Welsh) and also 'the man who won the war', he did little to bring Britain's involvement in W.W.1. to an end. The real heroes of this war were not sitting comfortably in Downing Street but being massacred in N. France. I am still moved to tears when I read about the greatyoung poet Hedd Wyn who was awarded the 'eisteddfod' chair posthumously after being killed in that war (see the entry on the 'black chair of Birkenhead').
Contemporary political expressions is also represented like 'Meibion Glyndwr'('Sons of Glyndwr' - i.e. named after the hero Owain Gyndwr) who opposed the trend of English hoiliday homes or 'tai haf' (summer houses)in Wales by committing arson. Unlike certain cultures who have sometimes resorted to violent means to secure independence, the Welsh have never indulged in violence (apart from the wars of history and the aforementioned extreme exception of vandalising property). The Welshman's social grievances have always been best expressed by the poet, journalist or novelist whether writing in Welsh or English.
Wales is the land of myth and culture. This fact is often reflected in the literature. If literature is the art of expressing a people, then to understand that people one must first be acquainted with their culture. The companion contains many entries prertaining to characters and incidents that are taken from the 'Mabinogion' (collection of Welsh mythology). Welsh legends are also represented such as Arthurian material and associated entries such as 'caledfwlch' (i.e. excalibur) and 'Ynys Afallon' (Avallon) etc.
Wales has a very rich folklore and the reader can also find many entries related to folk interest. There are supernatural beings such as the 'afanc' (water monster) and the 'bwci bo' (type of bogeyman), not to mention the 'tylwyth teg' ('fair people' - i.e. fairies) and the 'tanwedd' ( moving light presaging a death). Interesting customs are also included such as the 'ceffyl pren' ('wooden horse' - the Welsh equivalent of rough music/charivari), the 'dyn hysbys' ('wise man' - a type of folk magician), the 'stafell' and 'pwnco' ( wedding customs), 'Calan Gaeaf' ( literaly 'eve of winter' - the Welsh equivalent of Halloween)and the 'calennig' (New year's gift tradition) etc. Old games are also mentioned like 'bando'(a primitive version of hockey), 'cnapan' (a ball game) and the dialect word 'kayles' ( referring to a kind of skittles). Types of food are also mentioned such as 'brwes', 'llymru' and 'siot', etc. While there is so much material from Welsh folklore, in some of the entries the actual Welsh terms could have been supplied. For example, the corpse candle should have been described with its Welsh name 'cannwyl corff'. Similarly, the 'corpse bird' (which is a death omen is called in Welsh 'aderyn corff' and the Welsh equivalent of bundling 'courting in bed' was known as 'caru yn y gwely'. Moreover, the 'love spoon' (made by a man as a form of marriage proposal for his intended) is called either a 'llwy serch' or 'llwy caru'. In this entry the dialectword 'sboner' is used yet the purer Welsh word would be 'naddwr'( or carver).
There are so many other fascinating entries such as the 'coelbren y beirdd' or alphabet devised by Iolo Morganwg and untranslateable terms like 'hiraeth' (almost like a nostalgia, literally a 'longing')etc. This is an indispensable work for all those who loves Welsh culture. It is also a most interesting book for anyone who wants an authentic and detailed cultural insight into the people who were the original inhabitants of Britain. ... Read more

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This collection has been edited to reflect the changing nature of criticism and scholarship in relation to the Romantic period. ... Read more

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Challenging, Rewarding Essays by Distinguished Academics
Published in ten volumes, The Penguin History of Literature is a critical survey of English and American literature. Volume 5, The Romantic Period, is comprised of twelve independent essays authored by distinguished academics. These detailed, thought-provoking essays will appeal primarily to upper level students in history and English literature. David B. Pirie edited this collection as well as contributing the interesting essay on John Keats.

Seven chapters address the works of influential literary figures including Jane Austen, William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John Keats. Scholarly, detailed, semi-biographical essays do assume substantial familiarity with their poetry, prose and letters. However, the persistent reader is rewarded with a greater insight into the interplay of politics and literature during this turbulent period of English history.

Five more general chapters are devoted to analyzing political and social change:

Events Have Made Us A World of Readers - a thoughtful, detailed examination of the rapid growth and democratization of the reading public 1780-1830. Universal literacy, initially viewed as a harbinger of anarchy, was seen by the mid-nineteenth century as a precondition for political stability.

Politics and the Novel 1780-1830 - the novel, in 1780 considered the lowest of literary genre, was revitalized by the realization that fiction could be a powerful tool for influencing public opinion. A difficult chapter - I was unacquainted with the writings of period authors like Robert Bage, Charlotte Smith, Elizabeth Inchbald, Jane West, Maria Edgeworth, Amelia Opie, and Thomas Peacock. Only the section on Sir Walter Scott was familiar ground.

Representing the People: Crabbe, Southey, and Hazlitt - popular liberties, popular will, and popular sovereignty were new, problematic concepts. This fascinating essay looks at how three writers very differently approached these new ideas.

Poor Relations: Writing in the Working Class 1770-1835 - The reading public was charitable to literary curiosities (an untutored muse, a Suffolk cottager, an orphan poet, a blind poet, a poetic shoemaker, etc.) provided that appropriate poetic forms, topics, and social norms were observed. Working class authors of revolutionary tracts rarely had access to book publishing.

Orientalism - a detailed (perhaps, overly so) examination of the influence of oriental culture on English Romantic literature and poetry, particularly as British colonialism expanded into India.

Suggestion: The appendix contains a useful Table of Dates (1770-1837), 26-pages in length. I recommend reading (not simply scanning) this intriguing compilation of historical events before studying the essays themselves.An extensive bibliography is also provided. ... Read more

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Contents: Mobilizing Byzantium, Catherine Belsey; Doubles, Shadows, Sedan Chairs and the Past-The Ghost Stories of J. S. Le Fanu, Patricia Coughlan; National Character and National Audience-Races, Crowds and Readers, Seamus Deane; Garnering the Facts-Unreliable Narrators in Some Plays of Brian Friel, Gerald FitzGibbon; Fathers Vanquished and Victorious-A Historical Reading of Synge's PLAYBOY, Ruth Fleischmann; "It is Myself that I Remake"-The Shaping of Self in W. B. Yeats's Autobiographies, Margaret E. Fogarty; The Critical Condition of Ulster, John Wilson Foster; The Political Unconscious in the Autobiographical Writings of Patrick Kavanagh, Eamonn Hughes; English Political Writers on Ireland-Robert Southey to Douglas Hurd, Tom Paulin; The Autobiographical Imagination and Irish Literary Autobiographies, Michael Kenneally; James Joyce's "The Dead"-The Symbolist Inspiration and Its Narrative Reflection, Walter T. Rix; Wordsworth at the Flax-Dam-An Early Poem by Seamus Heaney, Nicholas Roe. Irish Literary Studies Series No. 29. ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature. ... Read more

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A survey of the English prose, poetry and drama of Great Britain and Ireland from earliest times to the 1980s. ... Read more

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A millennium in a nutshell
This history of English literature is amazing in its scope: it will take you from Beowulf to Heany in just 197 pages! It seems to be written for speakers of English as a second language, since the back cover says the vocabulary used is restricted to just 2,000 words. But it is clear and really covers the bases in English literature, so it is appropriate for high school students, or for anyone wanting to know about the most important periods, movements, writers, and works of English literature in one short and easy-to-read volume. It could do with some kind of a preface to explain its goals and target audience; it has none. And the words defined in the footnotes are often very easy (like 'professor'), while difficult allusions (e.g. in Milton) are sometimes not glossed. But overall, this is an excellent work. I used it to teach a class of Taiwan senior high school girls who had mostly lived abroad before. While the material was quite difficult for them, the course seems to have been a success. We covered 12 of the 15 chapters in two semesters, which brought us up to the 20th century. I used a thicker history of English literature (Moody and Lovett) to prepare myself for the class, and chose and copied sample texts of selected writers from the Internet so the students could have a firsthand experience of some of the works. We all gained a lot from this course, and I would definitely stick with the same textbook if I did it again. ... Read more

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This volume includes a selection of Scottish writing from one of its most innovative periods, the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It ranges across literary genres from the controversial 'translations' of James Macpherson's Ossian poems to the prose polemic of Thomas Carlyle. It includes a wide selection from the poetry of Robert Burns, and the complete text of Joanna Baillie's play De Monfort. Footnotes elucidate historical and other references, and Scots words are fully glossed. The introduction places these texts in the dynamic historical context in which this extraordinary literary flourishing occurred.Robert Irvine is Senior Lecturer in the Department of English Literature at the University of Edinburgh. He is the author of books on Tobias Smollett, Walter Scott, and Jane Austen. ... Read more

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Very "concise" edition -- more than half of the pages are Burns poetry.
This volume is almost exclusively devoted to the poetry of Robert Burns -- excerpts by James MacPherson (from Fragments of Ancient Poetry) and Hugh Blair (from the critical dissertion on Ossian), as well as one play by Joanna Baillie (De Monfort) and the essay "Signs of the Times" by Thomas Carlyle are the only other texts present.For someone interested in an anthology of Scottish literature, there are many far more comprehensive anthologies out there.If you would like a volume of Burns poetry, there are collections of his complete works available which might suit your needs better. ... Read more

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Shakespeare's Hamlet, regarded by many, as "the world's most famous play by the world's most famous writer," is one of the most complex, demanding, discussed, and influential literary texts in English. As a means of access to this play, this unique collection of primary materials and commentary will help student and teacher explore historical, literary, theatrical, social, and cultural issues related to the play. In an approach unique for this series, Corum guides the reader through a literary analysis of Hamlet's options. He examines the popular theaters of the day in which Shakespeare and his company first produced Hamlet and discusses the genre of tragedy in which it is written. Through judicious selection of primary historical documents, the work provides contexts for understanding Hamlet's melancholy, the ghost of Hamlet's father, the theme of revenge, and Hamlet's feigned madness. Chapters on Gertrude and Ophelia illuminate these characters in the context of the play and early modern English culture. ... Read more

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Eh.
The author sees Hamlet in a completely different light than I do - I disagreed with just about every statement he made. If you want a definitive analysis of Hamlet, I recommend J. Dover Wilson's "What Happens inHamlet"

outstanding
corum is amazing.truly outstanding insight into shakespeare

Brillant, comprehensive look at Hamlet
This book presents Hamlet as Shakespeare's Everest, and Corum is your experienced serpa. I used this book to teach Hamlet to 9th graders and to expand my personal understanding of the play. The peak of the play is acrucial plea against tortured youth turing to violence; Corum's work isessential for your journey. ... Read more

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The genre of Children's Literature encompasses a wide range of works, including classics of world literature, picture books and easy-to-read stories, fairy tales, fables as well as folk songs and other orally transmitted materials.This volume will help readers gain a deeper understanding of the commonalties and diversities within this genre. (20011001) ... Read more

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Dickens's classic tale is examined in essays that focus on imagery, themes, biblical allusions, and critical reaction to the story. (20020501) ... Read more

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Interesting and provocative
If the true mark of a masterpiece is that any person can find his own interpretation therein, this little book is ample proof that Dickens' enduring tale, "A Christmas Carol", is a masterpiece, indeed.Each of the critics in this little volume has a different interpretation of Dickens' intent though none is so bold as to suggest that his purpose might have been to provide entertainment or make money.

Among the expected interpretations are those that discuss the dichotomy between the industrial revolution and family values, rural and urban life, and Scrooge as the embodiment of "economic man."Other selections interpret Scrooge as Everyman - each of us experiences Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come every year - or interpret the ghostly visits as dream sequences based on Scrooge's impression of himself and his impressions of what others think of him.One selection discusses the fairytale elements of the story.

Another, one of the more bizarre interpretations, compares Dickens' story to a parable about the conversion of Jews to Christianity, an unconvincing argument that, nevertheless, contains a few interesting ideas.E.g., in the Bible, Ebenezer is a stone and in "A Christmas Carol" Ebenezer Scrooge is stone-hearted; Jacob Marley represents Israel who rejected Christ; and in contrast, all of the Cratchet family have New Testament names.This is rather slim support for the thesis, but interesting none-the-less.

One of the most compelling interpretations is that Scrooge is undergoing an ersatz gestalt therapy session, that he is meeting the demons of his past and conquering them (particularly the image of himself as a lonely child), reckoning with the demons of the present, and confronting the main demon of the future - death.Although this is an appealing interpretation, it is anachronistic to claim that Dickens would have actually intended this, given that he wrote the story in 1843, several decades in advance of Freud's work.However, that this, and the other authors can find so many levels of meaning in this story does demonstrate again the universality of the work and does give the reader something further to ponder, especially on a second, fifth or tenth reading of this seasonal favorite.

There is also a short biography of Dickens, a chronology of "A Christmas Carol", and a bibliography.In the preface, the editors note that this book, as well as the series to which it belongs, is written with "young adults" in mind. Perhaps, but the material should also appeal to any reader whose comprehension level allows him to ponder what he is reading or has read.Although the book is short, its ideas are so many and varied.

(One note, the hard-cover binding is very tight and makes it difficult to keep the book open.The paperback might be a better choice.) ... Read more

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Cambridge Literature is a series of literary texts edited for study by students aged 14-18 in English-speaking classrooms. It will include novels, poetry, short stories, essays, travel-writing and other non-fiction. The series will be extensive and open-ended, and will provide school students with a range of edited texts taken from a wide geographical spread. It will include writing in English from various genres and differing times. The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov is translated by Pam Gems and edited by Brian Woolland, Department of Film and Drama, Reading University. ... Read more

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It is both a challenge and a pleasure to teach the works of Oscar Wilde, "the master of paradox," in the words of this volume's editor. Wilde wrote at a pivotal moment between the Victorian period and modernism, and his work is sometimes considered prescient of the postmodern age. He is now taught in a variety of university courses: in literature, theater, criticism, Irish studies, cultural studies, gender studies, and gay studies.

This volume, like others in the Approaches series, is divided into two parts. The first, "Materials," suggests editions, resources, and criticism, both in print and online, that may be useful for the teacher. The second part, "Approaches," contains twenty-five essays that discuss Wilde s stories, fairy tales, poetry, plays, essays, letters, and life—from the perspective of a wide range of disciplines. ... Read more

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A wonderful new addition to the field of Wilde studies
I enjoyed every one of these articles, and was most impressed by the scholarship.A must for students and libraries. ... Read more

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This is a lively study of the autobiographical instinct in a variety of 16th and 17th century modes of writing in English, from letters and memoirs to pastoral, polemic and street ballads. The book's central concern is how "selves" are "betrayed" in texts, particularly in the centuries before the autobiography was a recognized genre. It suggests that self-representation in the early modern period was often indirect, emerging in oblique and surprising ways.
... Read more