This study focuses on fiction written by women in the eighteenth century to demonstrate how authors of the period implicitly examined and resisted patrilineal models of relationship, including the notions of literary tradition and of women's place in the family and the domestic sphere. The author's analysis of fiction from Lafayette to Austen argues that the concept of "correspondence," as exemplified in epistolary fiction, leads to a deeper understanding of the connections among French and English women's works of the period.
The author shows how coherences of plot, theme, form, and image link a group of over 100 little-known novels representing textual exchanges between female characters to form a subgenre of French and English epistolary fiction, a "fiction of women's correspondence." More canonical works, beyond the strict confines of form and period that define this subgenre, are reconsidered in relation to it, notably Lafayette's The Princess of Cleves, which is alluded to by several of the later writers. The author also shows how works by Stael and Austen at the turn of the nineteenth century display significant affiliations with the texts of "women's correspondence," even as they represent a turning away from the conventions that characterize the earlier subgenre.

The world is growing smaller every day. In today's increasingly global culture, we all need to become familiar with other traditions, and literature provides an exciting and enjoyable mode of entry into the variety of the world's cultures. Exciting, but also challenging: works from distant times and places expose us to unfamiliar names, customs, beliefs, and literary forms. "The Longman Anthology "is designed to open up the horizons of world literature, placing major works within their cultural contexts and fostering connections and conversations between eras as well as regions. Engaging introductions, regional maps, pronunciation guides, and a wealth of illustrations inform and enrich the experience of reading the compelling works included here, opening out a fresh and diverse range of the world's great literature. In the second edition of "The Longman Anthology": Major works are included from around the world: Many are given in their entirety, from "The Epic of Gilgamesh" and Homer's "Odyssey" to Dante's "Inferno," Moliere's "Tartuffe," Chikamatsu's "Love Suicides at Amijima," and Achebe's "Things Fall Apart," We also include extensive selections from such great works as "The Aeneid," "The Tale of Genji," "The Thousand and One Nights, "and" Don Quixote," Perspectives sections group together works around major literary and cultural issues. These sections are now followed by Crosscurrents, which highlight additional connections for you to explore. Often presented as thought questions, these prompts could provide you with the essay topic for your next paper. New Translation units willhelp you to understand the key role of translation in the life of world literature. Passages in theoriginal language are accompanied by two or three translations that show how differently translators can choose to convey the original in expressive new ways. You will enjoy finding new meaning in the original work as you trace the ways literature evolves for generations of readers. An enhanced Companion Website gives you the opportunity to take practice quizzes, explore an interactive timeline, review literary terms, listen to an audio glossary that provides pronunciations of unfamiliar names, and listen to audio recordings of the passages given in our Translationsections. Through all these means, "The Longman Anthology" will support and enrich your experience as you explore the many worlds of world literature.

The Longman Anthology of World Literature, Volume B offers a fresh and highly teachable presentation of the varieties of world literature from the medieval era. The editors of the anthology have sought to find economical ways to place texts within their cultural contexts, and have selected and grouped materials in ways intended to foster connections and conversations across the anthology, between eras as well as regions. The anthology includes epic, lyric poetry, drama, and prose narrative, with many works in their entirety. Classic major authors are presented together with more recently recovered voices as the editors seek to suggest something of the full literary dialogue of each region and period. Engaging introductions, scholarly annotations, regional maps, pronunciation guides, and illustrations will provide a supportive editorial setting. An accompanying Instructor's Manual written by the editors offers practical suggestions for the classroom.