John Lennard's writing delves deeply into the analysis of literature, offering readers profound insights into various genres and their historical evolution. His approach is meticulous and detail-oriented, establishing him as an authority in his field. Lennard focuses on understanding how literary works are created and how they shape our perception of the world.
A compact, wide-ranging, and accessible guide to reading plays, The Drama Handbook stresses the importance of understanding performance conventions and production processes through history, and offers clearly defined and presented critical vocabularies.
A Guide to Reading Poetry for Pleasure and Practical Criticism
Provides a practical guide to the poet's craft. Topics such as metre, form, layout, lineation, punctuation, rhyme, diction and syntax are covered and at the end of each chapter, each topic is applied to the same poem, Nobel-winner Derek Walcott's "Nearing Forty".
Focusing on Shakespeare's theatrical background, the book examines "Hamlet" as a complex revenge tragedy shaped by the playwright's close relationships with actors. It delves into the roles of various characters, from the Ghost to the finest performers, and explores Shakespeare's favorite narrative techniques. The final chapter draws intriguing parallels between "Hamlet" and "Twelfth Night," highlighting their contrasting tones as a dark comedy and a poignant tragedy. An annotated bibliography provides resources on major editions, film adaptations, and critical analysis.