Studying Literature: The Essential Companion is a unique guide for English undergraduates. It combines practical advice on study skills with key information on literary theories and theorists, offering invaluable support throughout any English degree. Key Features: A study skills guide combined with an overview of literary theories makes for a one-stop reference that can be used throughout your English degree. The study skills section prepares you for your course with advice on using the library for essay writing, and for your exams with tips on revision and preparation. The digital resource section provides information on how to use Google Books and sites such as Facebook, as well as the pros and cons of using Wikipedia. Understanding literary theory is essential to all English degrees and this section outlines the main theories in a clear and comprehensive way. Literary theorists are profiled to ensure that you have a comprehensive grounding in the subject.

Studying English Literature is a unique guide for undergraduates beginning to study the discipline of literature and those who are thinking of doing so. Unlike books that provide a survey of literary history or non-subject specific manuals that offer rigid guidelines on how to write essays, Studying English Literature invites students to engage with the subject's history and theory whilst at the same time offering information about reading, researching and writing about literature within the context of a university. The book is practical yet not patronizing: for example, whilst the discussion of plagiarism provides clear guidelines on how not to commit this offence, it also considers the difficulties students experience finding their own 'voice' when writing and provokes reflection on the value of originality and the concepts of adaptation, appropriation and intertextuality in literature. Above all, the book prizes the idea of argument rather than insisting upon formulaic essay plans, and gives many ways of finding something to say as you read and when you write, in chapters on Reading, Argument, Essays, Sentences and References.

In just one day ... In the backyard of the bride’s Southern California home, a group of family, friends and strangers come together to celebrate the wedding of two people in love, but each brings with them conflicts they can’t leave behind. The bride’s brother Ian brings upheaval as he shakes off responsibility. Kristy, the photographer, is overwhelmed by her anxiety. The whole foundation of Leah’s life has been destroyed, distracting her from her critical job as wedding coordinator. Amber, the maid of honor, fights to keep a smile on her face as her loneliness crushes her. Dylan, the waiter, tries to balance two warring demands on him. The groom’s grandfather, Marshall, is looking forward to the day with his family. And Sophie, the flower girl, seeks the attention she never gets from her mom. As the wedding day progresses, each must reconcile their expectations of the day with the new reality. All set in one day, No Day Like Today explores how just the tiniest gesture can make a difference and how one single day can change everything.

This fully revised and expanded new edition gives practical help and guidance to students and sets out a logical method for approaching novels, plays and poems. Useful chapters on themes, characters, structure and style explain how to analyse a text and later chapters give advice on writing successful essays and on how to set about revision. Straightforward and lively, the book is an invaluable companion to all students of literature.

This introduction to the tools required for literary study provides all the skills, background and critical knowledge which students require to approach their study of literature with confidence.

Studying Literature in English provides the ideal point of entry for students of English Literature. This book is an accessible guide for Literature students around the world. This book: Grounds literature and the study of literature throughout by referencing a selection of well-known novels, plays and poems Examines the central questions that readers ask when confronting literary texts, and shows how these make literary theory meaningful and necessary Links British, American and postcolonial literature into a coherent whole Discusses film as literature and provides the basic conceptual tools in order to study film within a literature-course framework Places particular emphasis on interdisciplinarity by examining the connections between the study of literature and other disciplines Provides an annotated list of further reading From principal literary genres, periods and theory, to strategies for reading, research and essay-writing, Dominic Rainsford provides an engaging introduction to the most important aspects of studying literature in English. This book is invaluable reading for anyone studying literature in English.