Hours in a Library, Volume 1 / New Edition, with Additions

Name: Hours in a Library, Volume 1 / New Edition, with Additions
Author: Leslie Stephen

By Leslie Stephen

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Essays, Letters & Speeches

About This Book

A sequence of critical essays assesses the styles, themes, and moral attitudes of important English and continental writers, from early novelists to essayists and poets. Close readings probe narrative technique, imaginative power, treatment of the supernatural, and ethical sensibility, and combine biographical anecdote with aesthetic judgment. Individual studies treat Defoe, Richardson, Pope, Scott, Hawthorne, Balzac, De Quincey, Sir Thomas Browne, Jonathan Edwards, and Horace Walpole, noting strengths and limitations. The overall approach balances admiration with measured critique and emphasizes how temperamental traits and formal choices shape each writer's achievement.

About the Author

Leslie Stephen

Leslie Stephen (1832-1904) was an English author, literary critic, and philosopher, known for his contributions to the study of English literature and society in the 18th century. He was a prominent figure in the Victorian literary scene and served as the first editor of the Dictionary of National Biography. His notable works include "Hours in a Library," a series of essays reflecting on various literary figures and themes, and "English Literature and Society in the Eighteenth Century," which explores the cultural context of the period. Stephen's writings often blend literary criticism with ethical considerations, making significant contributions to both literature and philosophy.