Esther's Classic Literature Blog

Washington Irving was America's first internationally acclaimed author, perhaps most famous for "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," and "Rip van Winkle." After spending 17 years traveling through Europe in search ... Read More

(1783-1859) American writer. Washington Irving's pseudonyms included: Dietrich Knickerbocker, Jonathan Oldstyle, and Geoffrey Crayon. Washington Irving was a short story writer, famous for works like "Rip Van Winkle" and "The ... Read More

In "Death Be Not Proud," John Gunther explores the process of death: discovery, fighting, living on, and then dying. The process becomes just a little bit easier, as humor, human ... Read More

In "What Happens in Literature," Edward W. Rosenheim offers a brief discussion of the basics of literature, including poems, novels and plays. He argues that the main focus of reading ... Read More

If you're looking for the literature of love, this course offers a daily excerpt that's related to young love, lost love, unrequited love, the pain of love, and much more. ... Read More

Do you really know what love is? Some of the greatest writers in history offer their takes... We all know the Biblical version of what love is: "Love is gentle. ... Read More

C.S. Lewis is one of the most versatile figures in literary history. He dreamed of becoming a great poet; instead, he achieved fame as the writer of children's books, nonfiction, ... Read More

Alan Paton began writing "Cry the Beloved Country" in a hotel room in Norway while he was undertaking a world-wide survey of correctional facilities. Once he'd started writing in a ... Read More

Mark Twain is one of the most famous names in American literature. Read more about the life and works of Mark Twain, including "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," "A Connecticut ... Read More

Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri. He was the fifth surviving child of John and Jane Lampton Clemens. The work that first ... Read More

With this new biography, Fred Kaplan offers a new perspective to the oft-told tales of Mark Twain's life and works. Although biographers have long navigated the ambiguous and misleading labyrinth ... Read More

(1783-1859) American writer. Washington Irving's pseudonyms included: Dietrich Knickerbocker, Jonathan Oldstyle, and Geoffrey Crayon. Washington Irving was a short story writer, famous for works like "Rip Van Winkle" and "The ... Read More

Washington Irving was America's first internationally acclaimed author, perhaps most famous for "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," and "Rip van Winkle." After spending 17 years traveling through Europe in search ... Read More

In "Death Be Not Proud," John Gunther explores the process of death: discovery, fighting, living on, and then dying. The process becomes just a little bit easier, as humor, human ... Read More

In his new book, Thomas Foster opens up a new world of literature, drawing from some of the world's greatest classics to explore what literature is, what it means to ... Read More

Welcome to the daily literature e-mail, where you'll read literature. Each day, you'll receive a short passage of literature, which is drawn from the Classic Literature e-text library. Besides offering ... Read More

As Duchan Caudill writes, "Defoe presents 'Moll Flanders' in the guise of an autobiography, written by a woman of advanced years. Defoe was adroit at creating a narrative, relaying the ... Read More

(1851-1904) After the publication of Kate Chopin's scandalous novel, "The Awakening," the literary world ignored her stories for the next 70 years. Read about the life and works of Kate ... Read More

Kate Chopin was known for her storytelling skills, a talent she learned from her great-grandmother. Even with that talent, and with the writing she'd dabbled in while at school, it's ... Read More

If you're wondering what great classics you should read, here are some books that will help. These books list hundreds of works from Homer through Edgar Allan Poe and Gustave ... Read More

In "What Happens in Literature," Edward W. Rosenheim offers a brief discussion of the basics of literature, including poems, novels and plays. He argues that the main focus of reading ... Read More

In "Death Be Not Proud," John Gunther explores the process of death: discovery, fighting, living on, and then dying. The process becomes just a little bit easier, as humor, human ... Read More

From poetry to novels, stories, and nonfiction works, these books offer a complete look at Chinese literature through history. It's a rich history filled with names like Confucius, SunZi, Lao ... Read More

In this slim volume, Vikram Seth offers translations for three eighth-century Chinese poets: Wang Wei, Li Bai (or Li Po), and Du Fu (or Tu Fu). Seth's aim in creating ... Read More

In his new book, Thomas Foster opens up a new world of literature, drawing from some of the world's greatest classics to explore what literature is, what it means to ... Read More

Welcome to the daily literature e-mail, where you'll read literature. Each day, you'll receive a short passage of literature, which is drawn from the Classic Literature e-text library. Besides offering ... Read More

(1819-1892) American writer. Walt Whitman is known for his famous, and controversial, collection of poems, "Leaves of Grass." In "When I Read a Book," he writes: "When I read the book, ... Read More

Alan Paton began writing "Cry the Beloved Country" in a hotel room in Norway while he was undertaking a world-wide survey of correctional facilities. Once he'd started writing in a ... Read More

In the first love letter Robert Browning wrote to Elizabeth Barrett on January 10, 1845, he said: "I love your verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett -- I ... Read More

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) was a famous Victorian poet, known for poems like "How do I Love Thee," and for her love affair with Robert Browning, whom she also married. ... Read More

Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts; and she would spend most of the rest of her life there. She had no wish to travel or ... Read More

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on December 10, 1830. She was the second child of Edward and Emily Norcross Dickinson. Her family was prominent in Amherst. Her ... Read More

In "What Happens in Literature," Edward W. Rosenheim offers a brief discussion of the basics of literature, including poems, novels and plays. He argues that the main focus of reading ... Read More

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) was an American writer, who lived during the time of the Civil War and Walt Whitman. She was a poet and a recluse, so she was not ... Read More

Robert Browning is one of the famous poets of the 19th century (Victorian period). He's particularly well-known for his early monologue, "My Last Duchess." "My Last Duchess" is a great example ... Read More

If you're looking for the literature of love, this course offers a daily excerpt that's related to young love, lost love, unrequited love, the pain of love, and much more. ... Read More

Abelard and Heloise are one of the most celebrated couples of all time, known for their love affair... and for the tragedy that separated them. In a letter to Abelard, Heloise ... Read More

Alan Paton began writing "Cry the Beloved Country" in a hotel room in Norway while he was undertaking a world-wide survey of correctional facilities. Once he'd started writing in a ... Read More

Do you really know what love is? Some of the greatest writers in history offer their takes... We all know the Biblical version of what love is: "Love is gentle. ... Read More

A classic Welsh writer, Dylan Thomas is one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. He once wrote of himself: "I hold a beast, an angel, and a madman ... Read More

Whether you're looking for books about love literature, about first loves in literature, or about tragic relationships in literary history, you'll find a book that will spark your interest, and ... Read More

In England, the Comedy of Manners is represented by the plays of William Wycherley, George Etherege, William Congreve, and Aphra Behn. The main goal of these comedies of manners in ... Read More

As Duchan Caudill writes, "Defoe presents 'Moll Flanders' in the guise of an autobiography, written by a woman of advanced years. Defoe was adroit at creating a narrative, relaying the ... Read More

In his new book, Thomas Foster opens up a new world of literature, drawing from some of the world's greatest classics to explore what literature is, what it means to ... Read More

(1640-1689) British writer. Aphra Behn is one of the most famous women writers in literature, partly because she was one of the first, but also because of the controversies that ... Read More

C.S. Lewis is one of the most versatile figures in literary history. He dreamed of becoming a great poet; instead, he achieved fame as the writer of children's books, nonfiction, ... Read More

With this new biography, Fred Kaplan offers a new perspective to the oft-told tales of Mark Twain's life and works. Although biographers have long navigated the ambiguous and misleading labyrinth ... Read More

Forget everything you ever thought you knew about fairy tales, and "Little Red Riding Hood." In this book, Catherine Orenstein explores the history of the fairy tale, from the French ... Read More

The story of Abelard and Heloise is one of the greatest love stories of all time. And, what makes it so interesting is the letters that these two lovers wrote ... Read More

Abelard and Heloise are one of the most celebrated couples of all time, known for their love affair... and for the tragedy that separated them. In a letter to Abelard, Heloise ... Read More

There's a great deal of poetry and other literature that has love as a theme or focus. Take a look at these works to learn more about the literature of ... Read More

A classic Welsh writer, Dylan Thomas is one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. He once wrote of himself: "I hold a beast, an angel, and a madman ... Read More

A comedy is usually a light, rather amusing, play that deals with contemporary life and manners. Such a drama often has a satirical slant, but ends happily. Among the many ... Read More

A person's first love is unforgettable... Read what classic writers have written about the first time characters fall in love. These books explore the full range of literary possibilities from ... Read More