The History of British Literature

William Shakespeare One of the best known English playwrights was William Shakespeare.He draw ideas for his tragedies and comedies from the history of England and ancient Rome. Many experts consider Shakespeare the greatest writer and the greatest playwright in English language. William Shakespeare wrote 37 plays which may be divided into comedies (Such as «A Midsummer Nights Dream»), tragedies («Hamlet»,«Othello»,«King Lear»,«Macbeth») and historical plays («Richard II»,«Henry V »,«Julius Caesar»,«Antony and Creopatra»).

Robert Burns Robert Burns represents the generation of Romantic writers. In his poems he described with love and understanding the simple life he knew. Among his well-known poems are «Halloween»,«The Jolly Beggars»,«To a Mouse».

Lord George Gordon Byron Lord George Gordon Byron. His free- spirited life style combined with his rare poetic gift makes him one of the most famous figures of the Romantic Era. His famous works such as «Stanzas to Augusta»,«The Prisoner of Chillon»,«Childe Harolds Pilgrimage»,«Manfreb» draw read into the passion humors and conviction of a poet whose life and work truly embodied the Roman spirit.

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott wrote the first examples of historical novels.

Charles Dickens Charles Dickens, one of the greatest and most popular English novelist ( ). «The Pickwick Papers» was Dickenss greatest novel. He published them in April « Oliver Twist» was published two years later. Thes novel was a great success among the reading public. Charles Dickens wrote a lot of novels. His masterpieces are : «Oliver Twist» ( ), «Niholas Nickleby» ( ), «David Copperfield» ( ), «Little Dorrit» ( ), «Great Expectations» ( ). «The Pickwick Papers» was Dickenss greatest novel. He published them in April « Oliver Twist» was published two years later. Thes novel was a great success among the reading public. Charles Dickens wrote a lot of novels. His masterpieces are : «Oliver Twist» ( ), «Niholas Nickleby» ( ), «David Copperfield» ( ), «Little Dorrit» ( ), «Great Expectations» ( ). Charles Dickens traveled a lot. He visited America in He wrote «American Notes» after visitig this country. He couldnt finish his last novel «Edwin Drood».

Charlotte Bronte The works of Charlotte Bronte, together with Charles Dickens, William Thackery and Elisabeth Gaskell are considered to belong to the fine school of English realism of the first half of the 19-th century. In her works she wrote about the society she hved in and criticized it. He first novel «The Professor» was published only after Charlottes death. The best novel «Jane Eyre», published in 1847, is partly biographical. In 1849 the novel «Shirley» was published. The last novel «Vilette» came out in 1853.

Oskar Wilde Wilde was one of the most famous personalities of the day. The most popular his works are «The Happy Prince and other Tales», «The Picture of Dorian Gray», and his comedies «Lady Windermeres Fan», « An Ideal Husband», «The Importance of Being Earnest». Wilde also wrote poems, essays, reviews, letlers. He attracted the attention of his audience by the brilliance of his conversation, his knowledge, and the force of his personality.

Lewis Carrol Lewis Carrol was the pen-name of Charles L. Dodgson the man who wrote a famous book for children «Alices Adventures in Wonderland». Charles L. Dodgson was born in England in He got his early education at a public school. The he became a student of Oxford. Charles studied mathematics and later taught this subject in the same college. The book came out in 1865 and all the people who read it liked it very much.

Jerome k. Jerome It the history of English literature Jerome K. Jerome occupies a modest place. He cannot be compared with Dickens, or Bernard Shaw, but he is well known as a writer-humorist not only in his country but in other countries too. His first literary success was a one-act comedy which was performed in the Globe theatre in London in «The Idle Thoughts and an Idle Fellow» and «Three Men in a Boat» made the author famous. The books were translated into several European languages.

Agatha Christie Agatha Chrisie is known all over the world as the Queen of Crime. She wrote 78 crime novels, 19 plays and 6 romantic novels under the name of Mary Westmacott. Her books have been translated into 103 foreign languages. She is the third best-selling author in the world (after Shakespeare and Bible). Many of her novels and short have been filmed.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Arthur Conan Doyle was born in the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh. He began his medical practice in a small English town Southsea, where he spent eight years. Here in 1887, he published his first detective story «A Study in Scarlet». Its main characters were Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and they became the most popylar characters of a great many of Conan Doyles stories. He also travelled a lot. He visited Europe, the USA, and Egypt. Besides detective stories, Conan Doyle also wrote historical novels, a war book and a book about Congo. His two science fiction stories «The Lost World»(1912) and «The Poisoned Belt»(1913) were guite sucussful.

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw wrote four novels which were published in magazines but they were not successful. From 1885 to 1898 he wrote a lot as a critic of art, music, literature and drama, and was very popular with readers. In the nineties Shaw began to write for the thoatre. He was the creator of modern satire. Shaw wrote over twenty plays. In 1925 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature and in 1934 the medal of the Irish Academy of Letters. Pygmalion is one of Shaws most popular and successful plays.

Archibald Joseph Cronin The greatest success of his first novel, «Hatters Castle», published in the same year, allowed Cronin to live by his literary work. Archibald Cronin wrote many other good novels. After World War II he went to the United States, where he continued to write. It his further work he dealt less with social problems. His later novels «The Keys of the Kingdom»(1941), «The Green Years»(1944), «Shannons Way»(1948) about the childhood and yauth of a Scotsman, Robert Shawnon, «A Song of Sixpence» (1965) are not as critical as his works of the 30s.

Rediyard Kipling He was an English novelist, a short-story writer and a poet.He was born in Bombay, India, in 1865 where his father warked at that time. At twenty-one he published his first book of poems. A year later he wrote a book of short stories about India. Between 1887 and 1899 he visited many countries and lived for same years in America where he married an American girl. He is best known for his works for cildren, especially «The Jungle Book». He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1907.

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