As the British empire expanded ever outward, English writers of the 19th and early 20th centuries such as Charles Dickens, T.S. Eliot, and Virginia Woolf turned their gaze inward to matters of ethical and moral import. Modern writers continue to examine British identity by reformulating and reinventing literary movements and devices introduced by their predecessors. Readers of this volume are invited to observe the progression of English literature and enjoy the stories behind some of the most seminal works in the world.

Explores the works, writers, and movements that shaped the British literary canon from the nineteenth century through the beginning of the twenty-first century.