A Short History of English Literature

by B. Ifor Evans

The first edition of Lord Ifor Evans A Short History of English Literature was hailed by the Observer: Professor Evans writes to the classical model, brief and lucid. He relates the arts to society instead of penning them in the study. As a judge, he is tolerant and undogmatic, but never slack in his standards. He is fair to all and gushes over none...This justice of approach is coupled with a mastery of phrase, which makes the writing lively without being exhibitionistic. Since its first appearance in 1940, A Short History of English Literature has served countless readers as a perceptive, reliable, and readable guide. This fourth edition revised and extended to include major poets, dramatists, and novelists of the present day provides an invaluable map to the vast field of English literature.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Literature, Literary Criticism, Books About Books, Criticism

287 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1940

About the author

(Benjamin) Ifor Evans, Baron Evans of Hungershall was a British academic, university administrator and author.

He was Provost of University College London from 1951 to 1966.

He was knighted by HM The Queen at Buckingham Palace on 12 July 1955, and was created a life peer as Baron Evans of Hungershall, in the Borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells on 25 August 1967.

He wrote books on English Literature and the history of drama, including a study of Shakespeare's plays. He also wrote one novel, 'The Shop on the King's Road' (1946).

Reviews

[Alok Mishra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caution: This book is only for those who already understand the basics and the advances of the history of English literature. If you are a beginner, please avoid this book. This records the history of English literature in a scholarly, part-cynical and part-egoistic manner that is too enjoyable at times and too true as well.

[Reza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in a second hand book store under a pile of damaged books and I bought it for the equivalent of 50 cents or less. Its pages were violently yellowed and the cover was torn.
One would look at the book in that state and think it best to leave to retire but man, it was a good purchase. The book categorizes English literature into four categories, poetry, drama, novel, and prose. Each category had 3 to 4 chapters separated by the pioneers of that category. Chapters contained a linear account of the history of the era they were covering by naming the prominent authors of that era, their most famous works and a tiny description of their views and opinions on life.
It may sound like a boring list of names and works but it really wasn't. The author of this book, who I'm afraid was never recognised as much as he deserved, connects each writer and each work so exquisitely together that sometimes I would forget who I was reading about and when the era that was being discussed ended. It read like a short novel such as Voltaire's Candid, fast-paced and engaging.
The only argument against this book that I can think of is that it is outdated. It was, I think, first written in 1958 and a lot has changed since in English literature and many have come to and gone out of fame. That's something to keep in mind. However, I still think it's an interesting little book if you're interested to know about the history of English Literature before the 20th century and want it in a brief and to-the-point package.

[André · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a great little book. Easy to read, without all the technical jargon, and it sums up the History of English Literature quite well, despite the arduous task that it is, taking into account its complexity.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got to page 350ish and had to stop. "Dead White Man's Literature." Far too diffuse and brief to give any real depth, with no decent links. Just horrible. I also thought this book was quite sexist - Christina Rossetti only gets a brief passing mention and Jane Austen gets about two pages. They are the only female writers I noticed getting even a mention. Very irritating.

[Behzad · Rating 5 out of 5]

این کتاب رو تو یخ بندون مشکین شهر، بین بدو بایست ها و بشین پاشو ها، بین باز و بسته کردن کلاش و گرینوف و ژ3، بین ایستادن تو صف دستشویی و بوفه و سلف، بین نمازهای اجباری، بین 4 صبح بیدار شدن و 10 شب خوابیدن و این بین یه کله سگ دو زدن و صدای داد و فریاد فرمانده ها رو به زبونی که هیچیش رو نمیفهمی شنیدن، - بله، این کتاب رو من تو یک چنین شرایطی خوندم.
به نظر کتاب خوشمزه ای بود.
یاد اون روزها به خیر...

[Josef Komensky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not a book. It is a gate. Gate that open once mind. Gate through time and places. Gate that pin points another writers and their works. It is kind of paper version of Good Reads ;-)

It took me few years to go through it but it was definitely worth it. Every page was an adventure. Avid read as I am is able to meet there lots of new friends and even several old ones who I was able to say Hallo.

Yes again Good Reads has been to me a great guide to pinpoint me to the right direction.

I have also learned this way that for example George Orwell is not only 1984 or Animal Farm or that Ryuad Kipling is not only The jungle books and that Walter Scott is not only Ivanhoe.

It also showed me the abundance of English poetry something that I was aware it existed
( There are for example several poems in the jungle books ) but to what I was untill now did not gave much of my attention.

There has been voices that criticized the author that did not give enough room to ( their favorite ) writer or that the author did spook degrading about female author. I have to disagree with them ! Every male or female author got in my opinion its doe. You only have to realize dear critics that this book is about history of the English literature not only history of Charles Dickens, T.S Elliot, or Jeane Austen. The Author have more than hundred names to introduce and yes he have a undoubtedly several of his favorites he ommits nobody.

There are however several authors whose names I kind of missed adn that are: J.R.R. Tolkien, Bram Stoker and E van Goth just a neme a few.
But the pros are much much stronger than the cons this time.

I strongly recommend this book to everybody who wants to know something more about English literature.

[Kauzar Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

“So one must conclude, in a final paradox, that if more creative energy goes into meeting the challenge of television plays, as opposed to writing for the stage, drama will become still further removed from literature, and from the possibility of discussion in a history of literature.”

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ifor Evans first published his "Short History of English
Literature" in 1940 and by 1976 it had gone through many
reprints as well as an end chapter by Bernard Bergonzi bringing
it up to date with critiques of new writers such as Phillip
Larkin, Anthony Burgess and John Osbourne.
The interesting thing about Evans is that he had been around
for long enough to see poets that were highly thought of in their
lifetime, then spend years in obscurity, then in the 50s and 60s
have a popularity revival (Tennyson) and is able to discuss them.
As the back cover claims Evans is "fair to all and gushes over
none". The book is divided into poetry, drama and prose - English
drama, according to Evans, seemed to go downhill after Shakespeare
and his contemporaries (Thomas Kyd, Christopher Marlowe).
He also gives praise to Samuel Richardson who he feels has never
received his due from critics, especially contemporary novelist
Henry Fielding who wrote his novels "Joseph Andrews" and "Tom
Jones" as satirical comment on Richardson's "Pamela". There is
Tobias Smollett, a rough seaman who wrote about the reckless and
ferocious naval life in "Roderick Random" and "Peregrine Pickle",
both from the mid 1700s. At the other end of the spectrum Laurence
Sterne's "Tristam Shandy" which sounds a lovable but illogical
book - I must search for my lost copy!!
From the 1800s on there is a grab bag of names - Charles Dickens
he feels was the master and how, he wonders, did the Brontes
create such a phantasm world out of such austere reality. With
"Middlemarch" George Eliot achieved genius, Henry James so
desperately wanted the refinement of Britain but when he settled
here the reality was not what he imagined. Thomas Hardy, roughly
the same age, lived and wrote about a Britain that James would
never enter.
You also won't find many books that give even a passing mention
to George Gissing - Evans places Gissing as a writer who followed
his art into difficult places rather than Kipling who adapted
himself to the public taste. He feels there was no other writer
like Gissing who delved into the corruptions of society but
refused his audience an ending of easy solutions.
Evans also has a theory on the demise of the three volume novel.
He feels that by 1880, through free schooling, reading was enjoyed
by the greater public and people were looking for shorter books -
and Robert Louis Stevenson with "Treasure Island" and "Kidnapped"
was one of the first writers to profit by it. And I never realised
that it was Dr. Samuel Johnson who created the dictionary!!
I do agree with the reviewer who said it was all a bit of a boy's
club. Especially with Bergonzi, who wrote the last chapter. There's
no mention of Vera Brittain, Winifred Holtby, Barbara Pym or even
Elizabeth Taylor and those that are mentioned are sneered at for
writing about "women's subjects". While Malcolm Lowry who was known
more for his erratic private life and Angus Wilson are afforded
pages and pages!!

[Nigel Fenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the author's imaginative comparisons as an aid to description, e.g. Antony Trollope considered a male Jane Austen or when he writes of Conrad, "It is as if the work of R. L. Stevenson had been rewritten by Henry James", or his opinion of Meredith as a nineteenth century Richardson "with a much finer intelligence than Richardson possessed." Insightful and felicitous.

[Shreya Pandey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Appears to be more self-indulgent than informative. The book flows freely with the author talking about various literary giants in English Literary History. But this talk is just that, a talk. One cannot truly engage and listen. It's simply the author rambling on and on, mentioning tid bits about various writers and their major works. When the title says 'short', it really means short.

This book is not for newbies who are interested to jump into English Literature. This book, while written quite well, is only suitable for those who are roughly aware of English literary history. All it does is provide you a list of texts you should look into, it doesn't tell you much about them.

Ultimately, it's just an old white man rambling about other old white men.

[Meriyou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers a good overview--keeping in mind it is old and very male-centric.

[Abdulrahman Tingari · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب يتحدث عن تاريخ الادب انكليزي ابتدءا من قبل فتح نورماندي وفترات تعاقبت بعد وشكسبير من الشعر، النثر، قصص ،الروايات،والمسرحية ادب انكليزي يمتز بالعراقة ويحتل مرتبا كبيرة من بين اواسط الاداب العالمية.

[Vetri Valavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but dry

[Huw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional. A brilliantly written, concise account, full of fine judgements, sharing a deep understanding and enthusiasm. Hugely impressed.

[Will L · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I read the Pelican version from 1940 which is only 227 pages)

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great and interesting, probably one of the best book about the history of English Literature so far and I read many of them, the best anyway was the one written by David Daiches in my experience.

Brillante ed interessante, probabilmente uno dei migliori libri riguardo la storia della letteratura inglese fino ad ora (e ne ho letti tanti), il migliore resta comunque secondo me quello scritto da David Daiches.

[Stefaan Van ryssen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've used this on and off since the '70's, so don't expect anything about the second half of the XXth C.
Rather conservative, in some cases even reactionary in its outlook. Women and non-English writers in the English language get either a bad press or they are overlooked altogether. Factually ok.

[Hagar · Rating 4 out of 5]

a comprehensive book of the English Literature..I love Sir Ifor Evan's way of displaying the different ages and genres! It was really beneficial !

[Jaison John]

its really interesting ..... I believe this book cover the full history of English literature

[Moneeza Rafiq · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been my all-time go-to book when I'm studying or teaching the subject, however this is too short to get a full grasp of the history.

[Harsimran Khural · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is more of a chronology of English writers in poetry, prose, and drama than an account of the development of English literature.