Nineteenth-Century British Women Writers - by Abigail Burnham Bloom (Hardcover)

About the Book

British women writers of the 19th century were a remarkably talented, diverse, and prolific group. Some, such as Jane Austen and George Eliot, significantly contributed to the evolution of the English novel, while others, such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Christina Rossetti, are known for their poetry. And some, such as Marie Corelli, were enormously popular during their lifetimes but are now known primarily by scholars. This reference book is a guide to the lives and achievements of women writers of the period.

Included are alphabetically arranged entries for more than 90 British women writers of the 19th century, ranging from the famous to the obscure. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and provides a brief biography, a discussion of major works and themes, an overview of the critical response to the writer's works, and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources, including web sites. The volume closes with a selected bibliography of anthologies and critical works.

Book Synopsis

British women writers of the 19th century were a remarkably talented, diverse, and prolific group. Some, such as Jane Austen and George Eliot, significantly contributed to the evolution of the English novel, while others, such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Christina Rossetti, are known for their poetry. And some, such as Marie Corelli, were enormously popular during their lifetimes but are now known primarily by scholars. This reference book is a guide to the lives and achievements of women writers of the period.

Included are alphabetically arranged entries for more than 90 British women writers of the 19th century, ranging from the famous to the obscure. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and provides a brief biography, a discussion of major works and themes, an overview of the critical response to the writer's works, and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources, including web sites. The volume closes with a selected bibliography of anthologies and critical works.

Review Quotes

"Dr. Bloom's collection will be useful for serious undergraduates who wish to explore some fine writers who have not received much scholarly attention, as well as for faculty seeking to enrich their courses. Her decision to include not only novelists and poets but also travel writers, letter and diary writers, and journalists is significant for the study of nineteenth-century literature and culture as well as the women writers individually."-Sandra Donaldson Professor of English and Director of Women Studies University of North Dakota

?A useful handbook for large public libraries and college and university collections.?-Choice

?Designed primarily for teachers of Victorian literature wishing to add more women writers to their courses, this sourcebook is an indispensable reference for anyone interested in women's literature.?-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin

?This immensely helpful reference book contains entries for nearly a hundred nineteenth-century British women writers working in many genres....Bloom and her contributors are to be commended for both the breadth and the depth of the coverage they provide.?-Victorian Periodicals Review

?This volume improves access to an expanding field of study and is highly recommended to academic and large public libraries.?-Lawrence Looks at Books

"A useful handbook for large public libraries and college and university collections."-Choice

"Designed primarily for teachers of Victorian literature wishing to add more women writers to their courses, this sourcebook is an indispensable reference for anyone interested in women's literature."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin

"This volume improves access to an expanding field of study and is highly recommended to academic and large public libraries."-Lawrence Looks at Books

"This immensely helpful reference book contains entries for nearly a hundred nineteenth-century British women writers working in many genres....Bloom and her contributors are to be commended for both the breadth and the depth of the coverage they provide."-Victorian Periodicals Review

About the Author

ABIGAIL BURNHAM BLOOM is Managing Editor of the journal Victorian Literature and Culture. She is the coeditor of Anne Thackeray Ritchie: Journals and Letters (1994) and author of the forthcoming article Transcending through Incongruity: The Background of Humor in Carlife's Sartor Resartus in The Victorian Comic Spirit. She has written and lectured on the Carlyles and the Brontès.