Books lets face it are better than anything else. Nick Hornby Turn the pages of The Literature Book to discover over 100 of the worlds most enthralling reads and the literary geniuses behind them. Storytelling is as old as humanity itself. Part of the Big Ideas Simply Explained series The Literature Book introduces you to ancient classics from the Epic of Gilgamesh written 4000 years ago as well as the works of Shakespeare Voltaire Tolstoy and more and 20thcentury masterpieces including Catch22 Beloved and On the Road. The perfect reference for your bookshelf it answers myriad questions such as what is stream of consciousness who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird and what links the poetry of Wordsworth with that of TS Eliot. Losing yourself in a great book transports you to another time and place and The Literature Book sets each title in its social and political context. It helps you appreciate for example how Dickens Bleak House paints a picture of deprivation in 19thcentury England or how Stalins climb to power was the backdrop for George Orwells 1984. With succinct plot summaries graphics and inspiring quotations this is a musthave reference for literature students and the perfect gift for booklovers everywhere. Series Overview Big Ideas Simply Explained series uses creative design and innovative graphics along with straightforward and engaging writing to make complex subjects easier to understand. With over 7 million copies worldwide sold to date these awardwinning books provide just the information needed for students families or anyone interested in concise thoughtprovoking refreshers on a single subject. show more