La scrittura di John Lennard approfondisce l'analisi della letteratura, offrendo ai lettori spunti profondi su vari generi e la loro evoluzione storica. Il suo approccio è meticoloso e attento ai dettagli, affermandolo come un'autorità nel suo campo. Lennard si concentra sulla comprensione di come vengono create le opere letterarie e di come modellano la nostra percezione del mondo.
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.