Focusing on the life and literary contributions of Thomas Hardy, this study offers a comprehensive analysis of both his major and minor works, including novels, short stories, non-fiction prose, and poetry. Alongside a succinct biography, Professor Page highlights the key themes and styles present in Hardy's writing, providing readers with a deeper understanding of his influence and legacy in literature.
Focusing on the intricacies of language, this seminal study explores the exceptional and nuanced ways Jane Austen employs words in her writing. First published in 1972, it delves into the distinctive qualities of Austen's language, highlighting its subtlety and depth, thereby enhancing the understanding of her literary artistry.
Drawing on contemporary material, including Auden's unpublished diary, this book places personal experience in the context of the life of Berlin - not only its political, artistic and cultural life, but the life of the streets, bars and cafes. The biography brings together a major phase in the life of Auden, Isherwood, and the city.
A.E. Housman, renowned for his poetic mastery and scholarly achievements, left an indelible mark on literature, particularly with his iconic work, A Shropshire Lad. To commemorate the centenary of this beloved poem, Norman Page's biography offers a comprehensive exploration of Housman's life, drawing from a wealth of sources, including unpublished materials. The biography delves into Housman's dual identity as a poet and scholar, providing a rich perspective on his legacy and influence, praised as the most thorough account of Housman's life available.
The five novels E.M.Forster published during his lifetime enjoyed a popularity and critical acclaim out of all proportion to this modest fictional output or the books' apparent pretensions: certainly since the publication of Howards End in 1910 he has been regarded almost without question as one of the foremost novelists of the century. Since his death in 1970 there has been no slackening of interest; the appearance of a comprehensive biography, an edition of his letters, a major critical edition of his works, and other scholarly and critical aids has given fresh impetus to the reassessment of his achievement. The present study provides a short account of Forster's life and career, followed by detailed discussion of his major writings. A final chapter considers his posthumous novel Maurice and the short stories. Although his most significant work belongs to the first quarter of the twentieth century, Forster's alliance of wit and seriousness, satiric comedy and moral insight, gives it a perennial freshness for new generations of students and readers.