British Literature

There's a lot of ground to cover when it comes to British literature, and we've tried to make things easier by gathering study guides on iconic and frequently taught texts such as A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, and plays by William Shakespeare. We couldn't ignore contemporary novels, like White Teeth by Zadie Smith and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, so we didn't leave those out!

She Was a Phantom of Delight

by William Wordsworth

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Love

Tags Lyric Poem, Love & Sexuality, British Literature

“She Was a Phantom of Delight” is a short lyric poem by the English poet William Wordsworth. Often regarded as the greatest of the English Romantics, Wordsworth composed “Phantom” in 1804 and published it in his 1807 collection Poems, in Two Volumes. He wrote it in praise of his wife Mary (née Hutchinson), whom he first met in 1787 and married in 1802. The poem explores three stages of development in William and Mary’s relationship... Read She Was a Phantom of Delight Summary

Shirley

by Charlotte Brontë

Publication year 1849

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Friendship, Community

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Historical Fiction, Romance, Gender & Feminism, British Literature, World History, Victorian Era

Shirley is a historical novel by Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855). Written in 1849, it is Brontë’s second novel and followed the overwhelming success of Jane Eyre (1847). It was also very popular when it was published. Set in Yorkshire in 1812-1813, a time of financial depression, its setting engages directly with the Luddite uprisings in the North of England, when textile workers protested the unemployment caused by new mechanical equipment in mills and factories. Shirley follows... Read Shirley Summary

Silas Marner

by George Eliot

Publication year 1861

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Social Class, Religion & Spirituality, Family

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Historical Fiction, Industrial Revolution, Education, Education, British Literature, World History, Victorian Era

Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe is the third novel by Mary Ann Evans, published under the pseudonym George Eliot. The realist novel portrays the life of a weaver in 1800s England against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution. The novel has been adapted into films, radio plays, theatrical productions, and television shows.This guide refers to the 2021 Alma Classics edition. Content Warning: This guide discusses addiction and depression, which feature in Silas Marner.Plot SummarySilas... Read Silas Marner Summary

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

by Anonymous

Publication year 1397

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Masculinity, Fear, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Classic Fiction, Narrative Poem, Medieval, British Literature

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a chivalric romance of unknown authorship. Written sometime in the late-14th century, the work employs a complex metrical scheme that involves several lines of pentameter punctuated by a “bob and wheel”: a two-syllable “bob” followed by a rhyming quatrain of six-syllable lines. The bob and wheel structure is fairly typical of Middle English verse, as is the alliterative verse used throughout the sections written in pentameter. Its subject... Read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Summary

Sir Orfeo

by Anonymous

Publication year 1329

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Grief, Beauty, Music

Tags Narrative Poem, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Classic Fiction, Medieval, Education, Education, British Literature, Fantasy

... Read Sir Orfeo Summary

Slam

by Nick Hornby

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Future, Coming of Age, Fathers

Tags Magical Realism, Coming of Age, Humor, British Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Slam (2007) is a young adult novel written by Nick Hornby. It tells the story of Sam Jones, a skateboarder who finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant when they are both 16 years old—his mother’s age when she had him. The novel explores themes such as Navigating Teenage Parenthood, How a Few Seconds Can Change Everything, and Relationships, Wisdom, and Growing Up.Nick Hornby is a renowned English writer known for his humorous fiction about... Read Slam Summary

Sons and Lovers

by D. H. Lawrence

Publication year 1913

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Classic Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Psychological Fiction, British Literature, World History, Romance

Sons and Lovers is a 1913 novel by English author D. H. Lawrence. The novel explores the relationship between Gertrude Morel and her son Paul, who live in a small mining town in North England at the turn of the 20th century. Though met with a lukewarm response on release, Sons and Lovers has since been critically reappraised as one of Lawrence’s most important works and has been adapted for film and television.Other works by... Read Sons and Lovers Summary

Spare

by Prince Harry

Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Perseverance, Conflict, Grief, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal, Justice, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags European History, Politics & Government, British Literature, Animals, Grief & Death, Depression & Suicide, Social Class, Relationships, Journalism, Bullying, World History, Biography

... Read Spare Summary

Sweet Tooth

by Ian McEwan

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Nation, Literature

Tags Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Relationships, Arts & Culture, European History, Politics & Government, British Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Romance

Sweet Tooth is a 2012 novel by Ian McEwan. Set in the 1970s, it tells the story of one woman’s involvement with MI5 and the world of literature. Themes include the balance of power, navigating lies and deceit, and conditional versus unconditional acceptance.Plot SummarySerena Frome grows up in a small, uninteresting English city. In the 1960s, her mother encourages her to study mathematics at Cambridge University even though Serena (a keen reader) would rather study... Read Sweet Tooth Summary

Swing Time

by Zadie Smith

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Femininity, Coming of Age, Childhood & Youth, Mothers, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Art, Beauty, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Music, Realistic Fiction, British Literature, Arts & Culture, Social Class, Finance, Gender & Feminism, History: African , European History, Love & Sexuality, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction

Swing Time (2016) is renowned author Zadie Smith’s fifth novel. Inspired by classic movie musicals and Smith’s childhood passion for musical theater, Swing Time is a story about women, how forms of privilege warp our worldviews, and the ways in which history informs our present. The novel is divided into seven parts, each narrated by the same unnamed protagonist sometimes as a child and sometimes as an adult.One of the most respected literary voices of... Read Swing Time Summary

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

by Thomas Hardy

Publication year 1891

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Gender Identity, Social Class, Community, Environment, Shame & Pride

Tags Romance, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, British Literature, World History, Victorian Era

Tess of the D’Urbervilles is Victorian writer Thomas Hardy’s 12th novel. It was first published in 1891 as a serial in the newspaper The Graphic; this serialized publication was followed by a three-volume edition in 1891 and a single volume in 1892. Like many of Hardy’s other realist novels, Tess is set in the fictional, southwestern English region of Wessex, using fictional locations closely modelled after real ones. Hardy’s sympathetic portrayal of a young woman... Read Tess of the D'Urbervilles Summary

The ABC Murders

by Agatha Christie

Publication year 1936

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Good & Evil, Justice, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Relationships, Social Class, Horror & Suspense, British Literature, Classic Fiction

... Read The ABC Murders Summary

The Alchemist

by Ben Jonson

Publication year 1610

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Shame & Pride, Wins & Losses, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Power & Greed, Social Class, Community, Teamwork

Tags British Literature, Historical Drama, Comedy & Satire, Satirical Literature, Social Class, Finance, Renaissance, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature, Humor, Classic Fiction

... Read The Alchemist Summary

The Armor of Light

by Ken Follett

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Love, Justice, War, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Science & Technology

Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Industrial Revolution

... Read The Armor of Light Summary