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Gillian Beer Books
Gillian Beer is a British literary critic and academic whose work delves into the intersection of literature, science, and culture. She offers profound insights into key literary periods and figures, exploring how evolving ideas about nature, knowledge, and identity are reflected and shaped within texts. Her scholarship emphasizes the dynamic relationship between literary expression and the broader intellectual currents of its time. Beer's approach is characterized by meticulous analysis and a distinctive ability to illuminate the cultural significance of literary works.
Darwin's Plots
Evolutionary Narrative in Darwin, George Eliot and Nineteenth-Century Fiction
- 330 pages
- 12 hours of reading
The third edition of this classic study includes a new essay that enriches the existing content, along with an updated bibliography that provides readers with the latest resources and references. This edition enhances the original work, making it a valuable resource for both new and returning readers interested in the subject matter.
Routledge Revivals
Arguing With The Past (1989): Essays in Narrative from Woolf to Sidney
- 218 pages
- 8 hours of reading
Focusing on the evolution of fiction and long narratives, this analysis weaves together insights from various historical periods and contemporary narrative theory. Gillian Beer examines the works of notable writers, including Thomas Carlyle, Philip Sidney, Samuel Richardson, and George Eliot, highlighting their contributions to the development of narrative form and structure. The book offers a rich exploration of literary techniques and themes across different eras, showcasing the interplay between narrative and its broader cultural context.
The Romance
- 94 pages
- 4 hours of reading
The book offers a comprehensive exploration of the Romance genre from the medieval era to the 20th century, highlighting its evolution and interactions with other literary forms like gothic novels and realism. It examines influential writers such as Chaucer, Sidney, and Tennyson, and analyzes significant texts including Cervantes' Don Quixote and Coleridge's Kubla Khan, providing insights into the genre's development and thematic richness over time.
Alice in Space
- 240 pages
- 9 hours of reading
An examination of Carroll's books about Alice explores the contextual knowledge of the time period in which it was written, addressing such topics as time, games, mathematics, and taxonomies.