Sutherland John. A little history of literature

Yale University Press, 2013. — 285 p. — (Little Histories). — ISBN10: 0300186851, 13 978-0300186857.This 'little history' takes on a very big subject: the glorious span of literature from Greek myth to graphic novels, from The Epic of Gilgamesh to Harry Potter. John Sutherland is perfectly suited to the task. He has researched, taught, and written on virtually every area of literature, and his infectious passion for books and reading has defined his own life. Now he guides young readers and the grown-ups in their lives on an entertaining journey 'through the wardrobe' to a greater awareness of how literature from across the world can transport us and help us to make sense of what it means to be human.
Sutherland introduces great classics in his own irresistible way, enlivening his offerings with humor as well as learning: Beowulf, Shakespeare, Don Quixote, the Romantics, Dickens, Moby Dick, The Waste Land, Woolf, 1984, and dozens of others. He adds to these a less-expected, personal selection of authors and works, including literature usually considered well below 'serious attention' - from the rude jests of Anglo-Saxon runes to The Da Vinci Code. With masterful digressions into various themes - censorship, narrative tricks, self-publishing, taste, creativity, and madness - Sutherland demonstrates the full depth and intrigue of reading. For younger readers, he offers a proper introduction to literature, promising to interest as much as instruct. For more experienced readers, he promises just the same.Inside...
What is Literature?, Fabulous Beginnings, Writing for Nations, Being Human, English Tales, Theatre on the Street, The Bard, The Book of Books, Minds Unchained, Nations Rise, Who ‘Owns’ Literature?, The House of Fiction, Travellers’ Tall Tales, How to Read, Romantic Revolutionaries, The Sharpest Mind, Books for You, The Giant, Life in Literature, Under the Blankets, Flowers of Decadence, Poets Laureate, New Lands, The Great Pessimist, Dangerous Books, Empire, Doomed Anthems, The Year that Changed Everything, A Literature of Her Own, Brave New Worlds, Boxes of Tricks, Off the Page, Absurd Existences, The Poetry of Breakdown, Colourful Cultures, Magical Realisms, Republic of Letters, Guilty Pleasures, Who’s Best?, Literature in Your Lifetime… and Beyond.