Riven by world wars and cold wars, atrocities and genocides, the twentieth-century was also one of sexual, cultural and ideological revolutions, each inscribed across the fictions it produced. This fascinating new volume re-examines the twentieth-century novel as a form shaped by its problematic, often scandalous relation to the public sphere. Discussing ten groundbreaking texts against the challenges of their milieux, it considers twentieth century fiction as a tradition of transgression, perennially caught between license and licentiousness, erudition and sedition.

Since the emergence of Things Fall Apart in 1958, Chinua Achebe has come to be regarded by many as the 'Godfather' of modern African writing. Over 150 full length studies of his work have been published, together with many hundreds of scholarly articles. This Reader's Guide enables students to navigate the rich and bewildering field of Achebe criticism, setting out the key areas of critical debate, the most influential alternative approaches to his work and the controversies that have so often surrounded it. The Guide examines Achebe's key novels - with the main focus on Things Fall Apart - and also discusses his less well-known short fiction. Including discussion of important Nigerian scholarship that is often inaccessible, this is an invaluable introduction to the work of one of Africa's most important and popular writers.

Chinua Achebe has long been regarded as Africa's foremost writer. In this major new study, Jago Morrison offers a comprehensive reassessment of his work as an author, broadcaster, editor and political thinker. With new, historically contextualised readings of all of his major works, this is the first study to view Achebe's oeuvre in its entirety, from Things Fall Apart and the early novels, through the revolutionary Ahiara Declaration - previously attributed to Emeka Ojukwu - to the revealing final works The Education of a British Educated Child and There Was a Country. Contesting previous interpretations which align Achebe too easily with this or that nationalist programme, the book reveals Achebe as a much more troubled figure than critics have habitually assumed. Authoritative and wide-ranging, this book will be essential reading for scholars and students of Achebe's work in the twenty-first century. -- .

9/11 is not simple a date on the calendar but marks a distinct historical threshold, ushering in the war on terror, various states of emergency, a supposed "clash of civilizations," and the putative legitimation of counter-democratic procedures ranging from extraordinary renditions to enhanced interrogation. Perhaps no date, since Virginia Woolf declared that "on or about December 1910 human character changed," has marked such a singular point in the perception of time, identity and nature. Women's writing has always been something of a counter-canon, offering modes of voice and point of view beyond that of the "man" of reason. This collection of essays explores the two problems of what it means to write as a woman and what it means to write in the twenty-first century.

"Literature and Culture Handbooks" are an innovative series of guides to major periods, topics and authors in British and American literature and culture. Designed to provide a comprehensive, one-stop resource for literature students, each handbook provides the essential information and guidance needed from the beginning of a course through to developing more advanced knowledge and skills. Written in clear language by leading academics, they provide an indispensable introduction to key topics, including:

- Introduction to authors, texts, historical and cultural contexts

- Guides to key critics, concepts and topics

- An overview of major critical approaches, changes in the canon and directions of current and future research

- Case studies in reading literary and critical texts - Annotated bibliography (including websites), timeline, glossary of critical terms. "The Post-War British Literature Handbook" is an accessible and comprehensive introduction to literature and culture in post-war Britain.

Chinua Achebe has long been regarded as Africa's foremost writer. In this major new study, Jago Morrison offers a comprehensive reassessment of his work as an author, broadcaster, editor and political thinker. With new, historically contextualised readings of all of his major works, this is the first study to view Achebe's oeuvre in its entirety, from Things Fall Apart and the early novels, through the revolutionary Ahiara Declaration - previously attributed to Emeka Ojukwu - to the revealing final works The Education of a British Educated Child and There Was a Country. Contesting previous interpretations which align Achebe too easily with this or that nationalist programme, the book reveals Achebe as a much more troubled figure than critics have habitually assumed. Authoritative and wide-ranging, this book will be essential reading for scholars and students of Achebe's work in the twenty-first century. -- .

"Literature and Culture Handbooks" are an innovative series of guides to major periods, topics and authors in British and American literature and culture. Designed to provide a comprehensive, one-stop resource for literature students, each handbook provides the essential information and guidance needed from the beginning of a course through to developing more advanced knowledge and skills. Written in clear language by leading academics, they provide an indispensable introduction to key topics, including:

- Introduction to authors, texts, historical and cultural contexts

- Guides to key critics, concepts and topics

- An overview of major critical approaches, changes in the canon and directions of current and future research

- Case studies in reading literary and critical texts - Annotated bibliography (including websites), timeline, glossary of critical terms. "The Post-War British Literature Handbook" is an accessible and comprehensive introduction to literature and culture in post-war Britain.