Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

English Literature: A Very Short Introduction, By Jonathan Bate

Christopher Hirst
Friday 12 November 2010 01:00 GMT
Comments

What a relief that Jonathan Bate's lively entrée to EngLit does not kick off with Beowulf. Instead, we have Mr Toad's estate agent-like description of Toad Hall: "Up-to-date sanitation. Five minutes from church, post-office and golf links." This is because "Once Upon a Time", first of the essays in which Bate tackles his huge topic, explores the works where most people start.

Beowulf briefly crops up but even here Bate defuses tedium by relating Dr Johnson's suspicions about a fake antique epic. "Could any man today write such poetry?" a believer asked. "Yes," replied Johnson. "Many men. Many women. And many children." While exploring towering works, Bate reminds us that literature can also be terrific fun.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in