La escritura de John Lennard profundiza en el análisis de la literatura, ofreciendo a los lectores una profunda comprensión de diversos géneros y su evolución histórica. Su enfoque es meticuloso y detallado, lo que lo establece como una autoridad en su campo. Lennard se centra en comprender cómo se crean las obras literarias y cómo moldean nuestra percepción del mundo.
A compact, wide-ranging, and accessible guide to reading plays, The Drama Handbook stresses the importance of understanding performance conventions and production processes through history, and offers clearly defined and presented critical vocabularies.
A Guide to Reading Poetry for Pleasure and Practical Criticism
Provides a practical guide to the poet's craft. Topics such as metre, form, layout, lineation, punctuation, rhyme, diction and syntax are covered and at the end of each chapter, each topic is applied to the same poem, Nobel-winner Derek Walcott's "Nearing Forty".
Focusing on Shakespeare's theatrical background, the book examines "Hamlet" as a complex revenge tragedy shaped by the playwright's close relationships with actors. It delves into the roles of various characters, from the Ghost to the finest performers, and explores Shakespeare's favorite narrative techniques. The final chapter draws intriguing parallels between "Hamlet" and "Twelfth Night," highlighting their contrasting tones as a dark comedy and a poignant tragedy. An annotated bibliography provides resources on major editions, film adaptations, and critical analysis.