British Literature

The Waves by Virginia Woolf was published in 1931. Widely considered to be Woolf’s most experimental work, The Waves is a proponent of themes and techniques of modernism, including stream-of-consciousness narration and the use of leitmotifs. Set in England in the first part of the 20th century, the novel explores the lives of six characters from childhood into adulthood, exploring their unique experiences and the relationships between them. Employing a rotational structure of the six... Read The Waves Summary

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The Way of the World is a play by William Congreve, first performed in 1700 at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. The Way of the World is a Restoration comedy, meaning it is a comedy written and performed in the boom of theater following the restoration of the Stuart Dynasty after the Interregnum period in England. As with many Restoration comedies, Congreve focuses his satire on the upper classes, but The Way of the World is notable... Read The Way of the World Summary

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First published in 1908, The Wind in the Willows by Scottish writer Kenneth Grahame is a story for young readers that recounts the adventures of three animals: Mole, Rat, and Badger. In the woodlands where they live, the trio must deal with various problems—which include frequently rescuing their friend Mr. Toad, who loves thrills and often causes trouble.Widely considered one of the greatest literary works for children, The Wind in the Willows has been reprinted... Read The Wind in the Willows Summary

The Witch of Edmonton is an English Jacobean play. It was written in 1621 by William Rowley, Thomas Dekker, and John Ford, who were all established playwrights of this period. Other playwrights may have also contributed, including John Webster, who was working closely at the time with the play’s credited writers. The play was first performed by Prince Charles’s Men (a theatrical company patronized by Prince Charles’s estate) at the Cockpit Theater in 1621. It... Read The Witch of Edmonton Summary

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The Word Is Murder is a murder mystery by prolific author Anthony Horowitz, published in 2017. It is the first entry in the Hawthorne & Horowitz series, which combines the detective novel with metafiction. Horowitz functions as both author and character, accompanying the fictional Daniel Hawthorne on his investigations. Their investigation blends the mystery genre with meditations on the creative process, the nature of plot, and what makes a character likable or relatable.Horowitz first achieved... Read The Word is Murder Summary

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Three Guineas is a book-length essay structured as a letter from Virginia Woolf to an unnamed correspondent who has asked her for help with his efforts to “prevent war” (3). Three years after receiving the letter, and amidst the rise of fascism across Europe, Woolf has finally decided to respond. As a pacifist, she feels compelled to find a way to prevent another World War, though she is perturbed by the correspondent’s ideas, which ignore... Read Three Guineas Summary

Book DetailsTinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1974) is a thriller written by John Le Carré. It is the first entry in a series of books called the Karla trilogy, followed by The Honourable Schoolboy (1977) and Smiley's People (1979). The trilogy features an aging spy named George Smiley and has been adapted into television and radio shows as well as a feature film. Author DetailsJohn Le Carré is the pen name of David John Moore Cornwell, a... Read Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Summary

Titus Andronicus is a tragedy generally thought to have been written between 1588 and 1593 and is usually credited to William Shakespeare. The play is set in an undefined time in imperial Rome. Roman General Titus Andronicus returns victorious from a long war. Tamora, Queen of the Goths, is his prisoner, along with her family and retinue. He authorizes the execution of one of her sons by his sons. This begins a vicious cycle of... Read Titus Andronicus Summary

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“To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell was posthumously published in 1681 as part of the collection Miscellaneous Poems. Marvell, a metaphysical poet, wrote this piece in Restoration England, probably after the English Civil War. Marvell’s canonical lyric works are well-known today but were unheard of during his lifetime. Like Emily Dickinson, none of Marvell's poems were published until after his death. However, some of his satirical and other prose works were published during his... Read To His Coy Mistress Summary

Doris Lessing’s 1963 short story “To Room Nineteen” explores the theme of female independence and autonomy—and of how difficult these are to achieve, especially at the time Lessing wrote it. Any reader familiar with Virginia Woolf’s classic essay “A Room of One’s Own” will find similarities here. Lessing, a Nobel laureate and accomplished writer within multiple genres, investigates boundaries and conventions throughout the canon of her work, frequently breaking down dichotomies and questioning cultural assumptions... Read To Room Nineteen Summary

To Sir, with Love is a work of fiction based on the life of the author, E.R. Braithwaite, who went to teach in the notoriously rough East End of London after World War II. The main character, Ricardo Braithwaite, works as an engineer in an Aruban oil refinery beforeimmigrating to England shortly before World War II. During the war, Braithwaite serves as a member of the Royal Air Force (RAF) but then is unable to... Read To Sir with Love Summary