Cambridge University Press The Cambridge Companion to English Literature, 1830–1914 (Cambridge Companions to Literature)

The nineteenth century witnessed unprecedented expansion in the reading public and an explosive growth in the number of books and newspapers produced to meet its demands. These specially commissioned essays examine not only the full range and variety of texts that entertained and informed the Victorians, but also the boundaries of Victorian literature: the links and overlap with Romanticism in the 1830s, and the roots of modernism in the years leading up to the First World War. The Companion demonstrates how science, medicine and theology influenced creative writing and emphasizes the importance of the visual in painting, book illustration and in technological innovations from the kaleidoscope to the cinema. Essays also chart the complex and fruitful interchanges with writers in America, Europe and the Empire, highlighting the geographical expansion of literature in English. This Companion brings together the most important aspects of this prolific and popular period of English literature. Review 'In addition to overviews of subjects ranging from authorship to life-writing, scholars will find invitations to wander down new paths. The collection is particularly strong on periodical literature and, above all, demonstrates the current vitality of book history.' The Times Literary Supplement'… provides the student of Victorian literature and culture, or the curious and interested, with a well-wrought introduction … extremely useful for an introductory class or a student or scholar looking for a quick history of the period.' Annotated Bibliography of English Studies Book Description A volume of essays on Victorian themes, genres and authors, aimed at students and lecturers. About the Author Joanne Shattock is Professor of Victorian Literature at the University of Leicester.