Steven Earnshaw Libri

Realism is an essential concept in literary studies, yet for a variety of reasons it has not received the attention and clarity it deserves, often being dismissed as "too slippery" to be of use. This accessible study remedies that failing for students and scholars of English Literature and Literary Theory alike, plainly setting out what realism is, the issues surrounding it, and its role in other major literary modes such as modernism and postmodernism. Beginning Realism gives detailed coverage of the nineteenth--century realist novel through its focus on novels by Gaskell, Eliot, Trollope, Dickens, Mrs Oliphant, Thackeray and Zola. As well as discussing "the novel," the book also includes chapters on the use of realism in drama and poetry and a chapter on ‘the language of realism’, another aspect often overlooked in analysis of the concept.

Exploring the intersection of excessive drinking and emerging existential thought in the nineteenth century, this book delves into how these two phenomena influenced perceptions of self-identity. It examines the cultural and philosophical shifts of the era, highlighting how habitual alcohol consumption shaped individual experiences and contributed to a broader understanding of existence. Through this lens, the work provides insights into the complexities of human behavior and the evolving nature of self-awareness during a transformative period in history.