The History of English Literature (Naxos AudioBooks Histories series) [Audiobook] [CD]

The History of English Literature is an audio documentary presenting the finest authors England has to offer. From Chaucer to the present the narrator guides the listener on an audio journey telling him all about the different authors and styles of writing. In addition historical foot notes are given as well to give the listener an idea of what influnced a particular author during the time he or she was writing. In brief politics, the church and royalty not to mention social change all played major parts throughout the centuries to give each period a unique prospective. Dozens of authors and poets are covered here although in breif. Eliot, Austen, Dickens, Wolf, Wells, Blake, Woodsworth and so on. The list is quite extensive and it will give the casual listner a great overview of the written word. As stated each author or poet is presented briefly some merely only getting a mention while others are talked about more thoroughly and even have excerpts from their works read out. It is a great listening experience for one who wants to approach the topic casualy and learn as much about it in the least amount of time. I managed to get through the whole book in a matter of three days but I simply loved how it all was executed. So if you found your high school or college lit courses tiresome but still are interested to see how the novel of today was formulated or what the poets of years past had to say and how they shaped the literary landscape I highly recommend this audio book by Naxos. It is something you will want to refer to time and time again. A great audio documentary to add to your library. This audiobook contains four CD's. It is read by a single narrator but the excerpts are read by various other readers. It also has musical breaks between each section of the text.

I love this book. I think about my time in high school listening to dreadful lectures on English literature, theater, and the great books. How things would have been different if I had listened to this glorious audiobook. Not only is it sharply written, but Sir Derek Jacobi narrates the story of literature with a sardonic edge, so that you can't wait to hear what he has to say next. He draws you into the story of the literature...what makes these great books or poems distinguished...what makes them interesting...what makes them new and exciting. Of course, we hear samples from the 1300's - Canterbury Tales (and) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight...to the present, over 100 samples to be exact. I want to go back and read these wonderful books he talks about. After experiencing this wonderful book, I want to sing about English literature. Truly, if you have a high school student who thinks that literature is dead or boring, look no further than this audio CD. I cannot give it enough praise.

The History English of Literature is delightful. The narrator is great, the historical background provides the necessary foundation for the understanding of the issues which influenced authors. The excerpts are carefully chosen, thus portraying in a solid manner the contribution such authors made to the English literature. I absolutely recommend it! Maria Beuttenmüller.