Critical introductions to a range of literary topics and genres. Following a period when the decline of the novel was widely discussed, fiction has emerged as a vibrant and innovative genre, exploring the diversity of the contemporary world and, frequently, experimenting with form and language. Contemporary Fiction introduces students to the major and recurrent preoccupations of the post-1990 novel; it identifies some of the chief characteristics of the genre, and offers ways in which contemporary writing can be analysed and discussed. Texts are placed in their cultural contexts and are often discussed in the light of related works.

Contemporary Fiction (Cambridge Contexts in Literature)

Children's Books

Bickley, Pamela

Literature & Fiction

Cambridge University Press

Critical introductions to a range of literary topics and genres. The modern short story has suffered critical neglect in Britain. This book is something of an attempt to redress the situation. It focuses on short stories written in English mainly in Britain and America and is in three sections: short stories in the 19th century; modernism and short stories; and contemporary and post-modern short stories.

The Modern Short Story (Cambridge Contexts in Literature)

Smart, John

Brinton, Ian

Siddall, Stephen

Myszor, Frank

Teen & Young Adult

Critical introductions to a range of literary topics and genres. This book encompasses experiences of the British Empire such as life in Nigeria before the arrival of the British, through to the British retreat from the Empire after the Second World War and on to reggae and 'dub' beats of black British poetry today. Includes writing from Indian, African, South African and Caribbean authors such as Salman Rushdie, Chinua Achebe, J.M. Coetzee and Derek Walcott.

Post-Colonial Literature (Cambridge Contexts in Literature)

O'Reilly, Christopher

Critical introductions to a range of literary topics and genres. The gothic influence on modern writers such as Angela Carter, Iain Banks and Stephen King is vivid and great as is the effect on the world of film and rock music. Part of the function of this book is to offer some guidance: not in terms of a fixed or definitive set of Gothic characteristics, but rather in giving a framework for questions and explorations.

The Gothic Tradition (Cambridge Contexts in Literature)

Arts & Photography

Critical introductions to a range of literary topics and genres. The purpose of satire is to expose human hypocrisy, vice and folly, and because these aspects of human behaviour are not particular to any one historical period, satires can be understood by readers at any moment in time. This book explores the social and political circumstances to deepen that understanding. Text extracts are included from Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, Lord Byron, E.E. Cummings and Evelyn Waugh.

Satire (Cambridge Contexts in Literature)

Ogborn, Jane

Buckroyd, Peter

Critical introductions to a range of literary topics and genres. The emotional power and intellectual challenge of metaphysical poetry are such that it still appeals to modern readers. This book looks at the many ways in which readers at different times have read metaphysical poetry, suggesting approaches for readers today.

Metaphysical Poetry (Cambridge Contexts in Literature)

Willmott, Richard

Shakespeare's plays have long been open to reimagining and reinterpretation, from John Fletcher's riposte to The Taming of the Shrew in 1611 to present day spin-offs in a whole range of media, including YouTube videos and Manga comics. This book offers a clear route map through the world of adaptation, selecting examples from film, drama, prose fiction, ballet, the visual arts and poetry, and exploring their respective political and cultural interactions with Shakespeare's plays. 36 specific case studies are discussed, three for each of the 12 plays covered, offering additional guidance for readers new to this important area of Shakespeare studies. The introduction signals key adaptation issues that are subsequently explored through the chapters on individual plays, including Shakespeare's own adaptive art and its Renaissance context, production and performance as adaptation, and generic expectation and transmedial practice. Organized chronologically, the chapters cover the most commonly studied plays, allowing readers to dip in to read about specific plays or trace how technological developments have fundamentally changed ways in which Shakespeare is experienced. With examples encompassing British, North American, South and East Asian, European and Middle Eastern adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, the volume offers readers a wealth of insights drawn from different ages, territories and media.

Studying Shakespeare Adaptation: From Restoration Theatre to YouTube

Stevens, Jenny

History & Criticism

The Arden Shakespeare

An introductory critical study for first year undergraduates which bridges the gap between A Level and university study. The book offers an accessible overview of key critical perspectives, early modern contexts, and methods of close reading, as well as screen and stage performances spanning several decades. Organised around the discussion of fourteen major plays, it introduces readers to the diverse theoretical approaches typical of today's English studies. This is a go-to resource that can be consulted thematically or by individual play or genre. Critical approaches can overwhelm students who are daunted by the quantity and complexity of current scholarship; Bickley and Stevens are experienced teachers at both A and university level and are thus uniquely qualified to show how a mix of critical ideas can be used to inform ways of thinking about a play.

Essential Shakespeare (Arden Shakespeare)

Dramas & Plays

An introductory critical study for first year undergraduates which bridges the gap between A Level and university study. The book offers an accessible overview of key critical perspectives, early modern contexts, and methods of close reading, as well as screen and stage performances spanning several decades. Organised around the discussion of fourteen major plays, it introduces readers to the diverse theoretical approaches typical of today's English studies. This is a go-to resource that can be consulted thematically or by individual play or genre. 
Critical approaches can overwhelm students who are daunted by the quantity and complexity of current scholarship; Bickley and Stevens are experienced teachers at both A and university level and are thus uniquely qualified to show how a mix of critical ideas can be used to inform ways of thinking about a play.

Essential Shakespeare: The Arden Guide to Text and Interpretation (Arden Shakespeare)

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Books by Bickley, Pamela