The reading, study and criticism of books has always been popular and never more so than now, with events such as the BBC's Big Read and the glamour and controversy attached to awards such as the Booker Prize giving literature a high profile. This book covers the leading works and authors in the traditional canon of literature in English and in doing so gives the reader an engaging and knowledgeable insight into the books, their writers and the connections between them. From Austen to Shakespeare and covering classic favourites such as David Copperfield, Jane Eyre and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Essentials of Classic Literature in English is a delightful introduction to the classic works written in English before the First World War. Entries give a plot summary, an analysis of the major themes, a look at the literary techniques employed by the author and quotes from the original text, as well as a guide to further resources. A glossary of literary terms is also included and is fully cross-referenced to the alphabetically ordered collection of entries on key authors, novels, plays and poems.