---
product_id: 17081285
title: "A Little History of Literature"
price: "S$4"
currency: SGD
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.sg/products/17081285-a-little-history-of-literature
store_origin: SG
region: Singapore
---

# A Little History of Literature

**Price:** S$4
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** A Little History of Literature
- **How much does it cost?** S$4 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Currently out of stock
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sg](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/17081285-a-little-history-of-literature)

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- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

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## Description

“An enjoyable account of a lifelong involvement with literature.”—John Vukmirovich, Times Literary Supplement This “little history” takes on a very big subject: the glorious span of literature from Greek myth to graphic novels, from The Epic of Gilgamesh to Harry Potter . Beloved author, John Sutherland, who has researched, taught, and written on virtually every area of literature, guides both young readers and the adults in their lives on an entertaining journey “through the wardrobe” to show how literature from across the world can transport us and help us to make sense of what it means to be human. Along the way he introduces us to a wide range of works, enlivening his offerings with humor as well as learning—from Beowulf and Shakespeare to T. S. Eliot and George Orwell, and from the rude jests of Anglo-Saxon runes to The Da Vinci Code . For younger readers, Sutherland offers a proper introduction to literature, promising to interest as much as instruct. For more experienced readers, he promises just the same.

Review: Extremely well written - As a student of English literature many years ago, I wanted a good refresher course. This book is extremely well written by someone who knows the history of English lit from Beowulf to modern and conveys in a manner that is a joy to read.
Review: A Little History of Literature (in English) - He might as well have called it A Little History of Western Literature given his scant mention of any historical development in the eastern front save for the current writers Mo Yan from China who is a Nobel Laureate and Haruki Murakami from Japan who has a global following, both of which were only mentioned in passing. Substitute English for Western and the book becomes even more accurate, because after quick brushstrokes on the precursors of literature in the west, dedicating 4 out of 40 chapters on myths, epics and tragedies from various old world superpowers, he formally begins to follow the trail of literature in English beginning with Chaucer's Cantebury Tales. These gripes aside, this 'little history' will satisfy lovers of literature like me who are interested to follow the treasure trail of developments in the tools (printing and publishing), authorship (copyright laws), milieus (romanticism, modernism, post modernism, dystopian, absurdist, existentialist, metaphysical, magic realism, etc), types (novels, poetry, plays, criticism) and trends (reading groups, bestsellers, ebooks, adaptations, literary prizes, etc) that lead us to the book that we have in our hands. Easter eggs such as discovering that italics is so named because the first designer of the slanted type is from Italy, that font is so called because these are the receptacles of shapes where molten lead is poured to create the type, and that these fonts are stored in cases where the capital letters are found in the upper case, all add to the fun of reading this book. Many other tidbits such as these are inconspicuously found all over, and discovering them adds to the fun of reading. Knowing the tumultuous and multi-branched scope of literature's historical development in this book gave me greater appreciation of all the books I've read and will read, and for that alone I cherish this book and highly recommend its reading.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,412,558 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #21 in History of Books #136 in General Books & Reading #791 in Gothic & Romantic Literary Criticism (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 336 Reviews |

## Images

![A Little History of Literature - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61+PVOYVM7L.jpg)

## Available Options

This product comes in different **Media Language, Media Format** options.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Extremely well written
*by D***B on July 29, 2026*

As a student of English literature many years ago, I wanted a good refresher course. This book is extremely well written by someone who knows the history of English lit from Beowulf to modern and conveys in a manner that is a joy to read.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Little History of Literature (in English)
*by A***N on December 21, 2013*

He might as well have called it A Little History of Western Literature given his scant mention of any historical development in the eastern front save for the current writers Mo Yan from China who is a Nobel Laureate and Haruki Murakami from Japan who has a global following, both of which were only mentioned in passing. Substitute English for Western and the book becomes even more accurate, because after quick brushstrokes on the precursors of literature in the west, dedicating 4 out of 40 chapters on myths, epics and tragedies from various old world superpowers, he formally begins to follow the trail of literature in English beginning with Chaucer's Cantebury Tales. These gripes aside, this 'little history' will satisfy lovers of literature like me who are interested to follow the treasure trail of developments in the tools (printing and publishing), authorship (copyright laws), milieus (romanticism, modernism, post modernism, dystopian, absurdist, existentialist, metaphysical, magic realism, etc), types (novels, poetry, plays, criticism) and trends (reading groups, bestsellers, ebooks, adaptations, literary prizes, etc) that lead us to the book that we have in our hands. Easter eggs such as discovering that italics is so named because the first designer of the slanted type is from Italy, that font is so called because these are the receptacles of shapes where molten lead is poured to create the type, and that these fonts are stored in cases where the capital letters are found in the upper case, all add to the fun of reading this book. Many other tidbits such as these are inconspicuously found all over, and discovering them adds to the fun of reading. Knowing the tumultuous and multi-branched scope of literature's historical development in this book gave me greater appreciation of all the books I've read and will read, and for that alone I cherish this book and highly recommend its reading.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Modest Title but Hugely Enjoyable!
*by N***A on December 21, 2013*

Having read Sutherland's Lives of the Novelists, and listened to his marvelous lecture series on British Literature (via Audible) I knew I was in for a treat. And this new book did not disappoint, being (as it was) written in Professor Sutherland's distinctive style. I was never bored; rather, I was inspired to read MORE. I can genuinely recommend this book to anyone who needs a good reason to return to Literature. And for those who never left it, Sutherland will help you to get even more out of reading.

## Frequently Bought Together

- A Little History of Literature (Little Histories)
- A Little History of Philosophy (Little Histories)
- A Little History of Science (Little Histories)

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*Product available on Desertcart Singapore*
*Store origin: SG*
*Last updated: 2026-10-06*