A Quick Guide Series

“The School for Scandal” written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan was first enacted on 8th of March, 1777, in London at Drury Lane Theatre. The prologue of the play was written by David Garrick. Through this prologue, David Garrick commends the play, the characters, and Richard Brinsley Sheridan to the audience. Garrick happened to be Sheridan’s predecessor as the manager of the Drury Lane Theatre. A Quick Guide to The School for Scandal Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Characters Chapter Three: Summary of the Play Act I Act II Act III Act IV Act V Chapter Four: Response

The story revolves around the title character, Agnes Grey, who happens to be a governess. This nurse works in many bourgeois families. The story details her experiences, and the behaviour meted out to her by the people she knows. Anne’s sister Charlotte Bronte supplied the scholarship and comments. She suggested that “Agnes Grey” is largely based on Anne Bronte’s own experiences as a governess for five years. A Quick Guide to "Agnes Grey" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: History and Background Chapter Three: Characters Chapter Four: Plot Summary Chapter Five: Writing Style Chapter Six: Thematic Analysis Chapter Seven: Critical Reviews

This is only a guide book for the students and teachers of English Literature. This treatise includes introduction to the book, its history and background, characters, summary, and critical analysis. It does not contain the original text of the novel. “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson was first published in 1977 by Thomas Crowell. It is a work of children’s literature. The story revolves around two lonely children who make a magical forest kingdom. In the year 1978 “Bridge to Terabithia” received the Newbery Medal. It is said that the author was inspired by a real life event which had occurred in August 1974. A friend of the author’s son was killed by lightening. She was inspired by that tragic incident to write this story. The central character in the story is Jesse Aarons, a fifth grader. Jesse becomes friends with his new neighbour Leslie Burke when he loses a footrace to her at their school. Leslie happens to be a very talented and smart student. She is a kind of tomboy, very outgoing. Jesse thinks highly of Leslie. A Quick Guide to "Bridge to Terabithia" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: History and Background Chapter Three: Characters Chapter Four: Summary of the Novel Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

“Anna Karenina” is considered and regarded as one of the best realistic fiction ever written. Even Tolstoy said that “Anna Karenina” was his first true novel, and he added that “War and Peace” was more than a novel. There is an incident when Tolstoy met Pushkin at a dinner. Tolstoy started reading his prose, and he had a kind of a fleeting dream of a bare exquisite aristocratic elbow. Most of the Russian critics came forward with their negative reviews and they said that “Anna Karenina” was a trifling romance of a high life. A Quick Guide to “Anna Karenina” Copyright Chapter One: Introduction to “Anna Karenina” Chapter Two: About the Title Chapter Three: Major Characters Chapter Four: Plot of the Novel Chapter Five: Summary of the Novel Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Chapter Six: Writing Style Chapter Seven: Thematic Analysis

“The Wanderer” is also titled “Female Difficulties.” It was published in the month of March in the year 1814 by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown. It is one of the most popular of the historic novels. It has the Gothic overtones, and story is set during the 1790s. The story of the novel revolves around a mysterious woman who endeavours to support herself while hiding her identity. A Quick Guide to “The Wanderer” Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Background and Composition Chapter Three: Plot and Themes of the Novel Chapter Four: Genre Chapter Five: Response and Reception

In Italian language “Bel Canto” means “beautiful singing.” There are various other similar constructions in Italian. Bel Canto happens to be an Italian opera term. There are several different meanings and it can be interpreted differently according to the situations it has been used in. The novel “Bel Canto” by Ann Patchett, an American author, was first published in 2001. It was published by Perennial, an imprint of Harper Collins publications. “Bel Canto” was a highly successful and widely acclaimed novel. It was the recipient of both the Orange Prize for fiction and PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. The novel made to various top book lists. It proved to be a bestseller right after its publication. The story is based on the Lima Crisis. It tells the story of a group of terrorists who hold high executives and people of high political standing hostage. The story describes how the terrorists and their captives cope with living in a house together for many months. A Quick Guide to "Bel Canto" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction to "Bel Canto" Chapter Two: Characters Chapter Three: Plot Summary Chapter Four: Complete Summary of the Novel Chapter Five: Thematic Analysis

The novel is based on the personal experiences of the author and his friends who travelled across America. “On the Road” is often regarded as a defining work of the postwar Beat Generation. The protagonists of the novel live life against a backdrop of jazz, poetry, and use of drug. They happen to be like wandering hippies. Kerouac had formulated the idea of writing “On the Road’ during the late 1940s. Before it, he had already written one novel. This second novel underwent several revisions before it was finally ready for the print. The book writing was over in April 1951 but it was published after six years. When the book was first published, it was highly admired by The New York Times. The book was admired as the most beautifully and most clearly executed. “On the Road” made it to the Modern Library list of the 100 best English language novels of the 20th century, in the year 1998.

“All But My Life” by Gerda Weissmann Kllein was first published in 1957. It happens to be the memoir of her experiences during the Second World War. The time period described in the memoir is from September 3 1939 to September 1945. In the year 1946, she moved to Buffalo, New York, with her husband, Kurt Klein. She got involved in the work of raising awareness about the Holocaust, prevention of hunger, and promotion of tolerance in New York. In New York, she met many other Jews and she developed ties with several Jewish groups. She began lecturing about her experiences as a young woman who had witnessed the Holocaust. A Quick Guide to “All But My Life" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Characters Chapter Three: Plot Summary Chapter Four: Critical Analysis

The author describes how he was brainwashed by the army and they taught him the use of guns and drugs. In one year with the army he experienced a lot of bloodshed and violence in which he also took part. When he was sixteen years old, he was removed from his army unit by UNICEF. He was taken away and put into a rehabilitation programme. Some members of the staff there helped the author and he enabled himself to go back to a civilian life. He was also able to leave drugs. Literature Help: A Long Way Gone Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Plot Overview Chapter Three: Main Characters Chapter Four: Complete Summary Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

“Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf was first published on 14th of May 1925. It is one of the most prominent works of Virginia Woolf. The book describes a day in the life of the title character, Mrs. Dalloway. Her full name is Clarissa Dalloway. She happens to be a fictional woman living in high society in England after the First World War. Most of the reviewers and critics have unanimously accepted “Mrs. Dalloway” as one of the best novels written by Virginia Woolf. The novel is based on two short stories: “Mrs. Dalloway in Bond Street” and the unfinished story “The Prime Minister.” Clarissa Dalloway, the protagonist, happens to be making preparations for a party that she is going to throw that evening. There are enough flash back scenes which describe Clarissa’s life and the inter war social structure. A Quick Guide to "Mrs. Dalloway" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Plot Overview Chapter Three: Characters Chapter Four: Complete Summary Chapter Five: Writing Style Chapter Six: Critical Analysis

“The Zoo Story” is focused on a conversation between Peter and Jerry. Peter is a middle class publishing executive, and Jerry is an eccentric transient. Peter and Jerry talk cordially in Central Park. However, as the conversation progresses, it slowly descends into violence. Edward Albee admitted during an interview in 2011 that he was personally more interested in Jerry’s perspectives than Peter’s. He said that that was the reason for structuring the play around Peter’s reactions to Jerry’s strange behavior. Literature Help: The Zoo Story Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Plot Summary Chapter Three: Characters Peter Jerry Chapter Four: Complete Summary Chapter Five: Thematic Analysis

“A Burnt-Out Case” is, in fact, a study of a man who happens to have burnt out on life in a metaphorical sense. The man in the discussion is Querry, an internationally famous architect. He grows disillusioned with his talent, his name and fame, and his love life. Querry takes a big decision. To escape his present situation, he decides to escape into the jungles of the French Congo. Having entered the jungles, he ends up at a leproserie. The story revolves around Querry who lives a meaningless life there. Eventually, he goes back to his meaningful life. The story describes the problems he faces when a local palm oil merchant, Rycker, recognizes him. A Quick Guide to "A Burnt-Out Case" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Plot Overview Chapter Three: Characters Chapter Four: Complete Summary Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Chapter Five: Thematic Analysis

The book is set in the time period just before the First World War. The story revolves around the tragedy of Edward Ashburnham. The story chronicles the events which occur in the life of that soldier. It describes the seemingly perfect marriage of the soldier and the marriages of two of his American friends. A series of flashbacks tell the story in a non-chronological order. It was a literary technique which Ford developed in pioneering his view of literary impressionism. The author has employed the device of the unreliable narrator very effectively as the central character slowly discloses a version of events which happen to be quite different from what the introduction leads the reader to believe. A Quick Guide to "The Good Soldier" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Characters Chapter Three: Plot Summary Chapter Four: Thematic Analysis

The story of the novel revolves around two youths from city. They are sent to a mountain village to be re-educated while the Cultural Revolution in China was going on. The setting of the novel and most of the details in the novel are inspired by Dai’s own life, but the plot of the novel is fictional. Dai was born in Chengdu, and so are the two boys. The author was also sent to a mountain village to be re-educated at the age of seventeen though he was from a very modest origin. He was the son of a tailor. He got a stolen suitcase full of Chinese translations of Sigmund Freud’s work. He took the help of those texts to understand the minds of the villagers. A Quick Guide to "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Characters Chapter Three: Plot Overview Chapter Four: Complete Summary Part I Part II Part III Chapter Five: Thematic Analysis

The novella “The Little Prince” is said to be the most read and most translated novel in the French language. “The Little Prince” was voted the best book of the twentieth century in France. The book has been translated into more than two hundred and fifty languages and dialects. It has also been written in Braille. Since its first publication, “The Little Prince” has sold over one million copies per year. More than one hundred and forty million copies of the book have been sold worldwide. “The Little Prince” has come to be the bestselling book since its publication. A Quick Guide to “The Little Prince” Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: About Characters and Events Chapter Three: History Chapter Four: Plot Overview Chapter Five: Plot Summary Chapter Six: Thematic Analysis

“Anthem” by Ayn Rand was first published in England in 1938. It is a dystopian fiction novella. Rand had written the book in 1937. The story is set in the time period in some unspecified future date. The novel presents mankind in another dark age which is characterized by collectivism, irrationality, economics, and social thinking. If there is any technological advancement in that future period, it is very carefully planned. There is no place for the concept of individuality. A Quick Guide to "Anthem" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Characters Chapter Three: Plot Summary Chapter Four: Critical Analysis

It is a three-act play, and the entire action takes just one night in the year 1912. The Birling family happens to be the focus of the play, and it revolves around them. They are a rich middle-class family. The Birlings live in a luxurious and comfortable house in Brumley, a big industrial city in the north Midlands. One day a man visits this family. The visitor calls himself Inspector Goole. He has come there to question the Birlings about the suicide of a working woman named Eva Smith. It transpires that the dead working woman was also known as Daisy Renton. Inspector Goole asks them several questions. After the question answer session a kind of hint is found that the Birlings are responsible for the young woman’s exploitation and abandonment. They are blamed of socially ruining the young woman. Owing to her sufferings through the hands of the Birlings Eva Smith is supposed to have committed suicide. “An Inspector Calls” continued to be considered as a part of the repertory of classic drawing room theatre for a fairly long time, but at the same time it was also assessed as a critique of the hypocrite Victorian English society. A Quick Guide to “An Inspector Calls” Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Major Characters Chapter Four: Critical Response Chapter Five: Staging and Performances

“The Return of the Native” by Thomas Hardy was first published in installments, from January to December 1878 in the magazine called Belgravia. It was the sixth novel written by Hardy. It is said to be a controversial novel because of the controversial themes it deals with. Having written the manuscript of the novel, Hardy found it difficult to get it published because the publishers rejected it. However, it was published and it received somewhat mixed reviews from the reviewers and critics. The number of positive views was more than negative ones. The novel did not gain much popularity at the time of its publication, but in the 20th century the popularity of “The Return of the Native” rapidly increased and it became one of the most popular novels written by Thomas Hardy. A Quick Guide to "The Return of the Native" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Characters Chapter Three: Plot Summary Chapter Four: Critical Analysis Chapter Five: Adaptations

“Thrones, Dominations” by D. L. Sayers is a mystery novel. It is also one of the series of the novel which present detective Lord Peter Wimsey as the central figure. Sayers had started writing this novel but she did not complete it. The handwritten draft of the novel remained as fragments and notes at her death. After her death, Jill Paton Walsh completed the novel and published it in the year 1998. A Quick Guide to "Thrones, Dominations" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: History and Background Chapter Three: Characters Chapter Four: Plot Summary Chapter Five: Response

The novel “Cecilia” by Frances Burney is subtitled “Memoirs of an Heiress.” It was first published in the year 1782. The story of the novel is set in 1779. Francis Burney had started writing the novel in 1780, and it was published after two years. Her father, Dr. Charles Burney, and Samuel Crisp, who was Burney’s literary mentor, tried to suppress her first attempt at writing “The Writing” for the stage. She was quite disappointed by it, but she did not stop, and she decided to produce a novel in order to capitalize on the success of her first book “Evelina” which was a highly successful book. It is said that “Cecilia” was written under great strain and it affected the tone and content of the novel.

The story of the novel revolves around the life and exploits of Sophie Fevvers. She would have people believe that she was a Cockney virgin, or perhaps so she was. She was said to be been hatched from an egg laid by unknown parents and ready to develop fully fledged wings. As the story progresses, Sophie becomes a celebrated aerialiste. She successfully captivates the young journalist Jack Walser. Jack runs way with the circus but he falls into a world for which he is not prepared, for his journalistic exploits have not prepared him to encounter the situation. The novel incorporates various categories of fiction, and they include postmodernism, magical realism, or post-feminism. A Quick Guide to "Nights at the Circus" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Characters Chapter Three: Thematic Analysis Chapter Four: Plot, Form, and Viewpoint Chapter Five: Summary of the Novel Chapter Six: Setting Chapter Seven: References and Allusions

The story revolves around the title character Augie March, who carries eponymous name. Augie grows up during the Great Depression. The novel “The Adventures of Augie March” is a perfect example of Bildungsroman. The novel traces the progress and development of an individual character through a series of encounters, professions and relationships from childhood to adulthood. The book was the winner of the 1954 U. S. National Book Award for Fiction. It was also listed among one of the hundred best novels both by Time Magazine and the Modern Library Board. A Quick Guide to "The Adventures of Augie March" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Plot Summary Chapter Three: Characters Chapter Four: Complete Summary Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

“The Thirteenth Tale” by Dane Setterfield was published in 2006. It is a Gothic suspense novel. It is the first published book written by Dane Setterfield. The title “The Thirteenth Tale” is derived from “Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation” written by Vida Winter. It was a collection of thirteen stories but only twelve stories could be published. Since there were only twelve stories, the title was changed and the cover was reprinted. The book was renamed “Tales of Change and Desperation.” People often ask Margaret about the missing tale in the novel, but when the novel concludes, Margaret gets the long awaited thirteenth tale as a parting gift from Vita Winter. A Quick Guide to "The Thirteenth Tale" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Writing Style Chapter Three: Characters Chapter Four: Plot Summary Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

The story revolves around the title character, Lady Windermere. She comes to know that her husband may be having an affair with another woman. Lady Windermere decides to confront her husband and so she does, but instead of feeling guilty or ashamed her husband invites the other woman, Mrs. Erlynne, to his wife’s birthday ball. Lady Windermere gets furious by the unfaithfulness of her husband and she leaves her husband for another lover. When Mrs. Erlynne comes to know about it, she visits Lady Windermere and tries to persuade her to come back to her husband. Literature Help: Lady Windermere's Fan Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: More about the Play Chapter Three: Dialogue and Characters Chapter Four: Plot Summary Act One Act Two Act Three Act Four Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

Scarlett O’Hara happens to be the spoiled daughter of a rich plantation owner. The story presents her experiences. She uses every means which she has to come out of the poverty which she finds herself in after Sherman’s “March to the Sea.” Rhett and Scarlett happen to be lovers but what happens to them is not there at the end of the novel. On being asked what happened to the author’s lovers in the novel, Mitchell said that for all she knew Rhett may have found someone else who was less difficult. The novel was adapted in a blockbuster movie of the same name in 1939. “Gone with the Wind” is the only novel which the author got published during her lifetime. The book is still popular all over the world. It is often discussed in academic circles even today. It has also been prescribed in the course of study of the students of American Literature in the United States and several other countries of the world. Literature Help: "Gone with the Wind" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: About the Novel Chapter Three: Characters Chapter Four: Title and Background Chapter Five: Complete Summary Chapter Six: Structure and Genre Chapter Seven: Critical Analysis

“The Beggar Opera” is said to have had the longest run in theatre history up to that time. It is said to be Gay’s greatest success and it has been played ever since its first performance. “The Beggar’s Opera” was revived in 1920, and it had phenomenal success. The play ran for 1,463 performances at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London. It was a record run for any play in the history of musical theatre up to that time. In those days the Italian opera was very popular in London. “The Beggar’s Opera” satirized Italian opera. A Quick Guide to "The Beggar's Opera" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Background and Origin Chapter Three: Plot Summary Chapter Four: Characters Chapter Five: Summary All Acts Act I Act II Act III Chapter Six: Thematic Analysis

It is often said that the play "Blood Wedding" is inspired by a real life incident. The author, Lorca, is said to have read about a sensational crime in the Madrid daily ABC in 1928. Almost similar incident is presented in the play, with the help of several fictionalized other events. The incident was described as follows: Nijar was a farming village. A young man was trying to run away with a bride on the eve of her wedding. Unfortunately, they were caught and the young man was murdered. It was later revealed that the groom’s cousin had murdered the young man. It is said that Lorca followed the murder investigation very closely. He also followed the people who were involved in it. They helped him develop the characters in his play. The woman involved in the crime was said to be of independent character and from a very rich family. The groom who was murdered was kind but he was over protected by his mother. Most of the details of the wedding in the play are almost parallel to those of the real life wedding party. Literature Help: Blood Wedding Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Plot Summary Act One Act Two Act Three Chapter Three: Characters Chapter Four: Complete Summary Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

“Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley was first published in the year 1932. The story of the novel is set in remote future, in AD 2540, in London. The novel is based on various expectations in several fields of human society. The story anticipates in reproductive technology, psychological manipulation, sleep-learning, and conditioning etc. which come together to radically transform society. After the publication of this book, Huxley gave answers to the points presented in this by writing an essay titled “Brave New World Revisited” which was published in the year 1958. He also answered some questions in his last novel “Island.” “Brave New World” was included in the list of the 100 best English language novels of the 20th century by the Modern Library, in the year 1999. A Quick Guide to "Brave New World" Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: History and Background Chapter Three: About the Title Chapter Four: Characters Chapter Five: Summary of the Novel

“Murder in the Cathedral” by T. S. Eliot was first performed in 1935. It is a verse drama that presents the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. Most of the information that Eliot has drawn upon comes from the writing of Edward Grim who was an eyewitness to the murder. The play basically describes how an individual opposes the authority. When the play was written, Fascism was on the rise in Central Europe. As per the instructions given by the producer of the play, Eliot removed or replaced some of the material from the play, but he later transformed it into a poem titled “Burnt Norton.” A Quick Guide to "Murder in the Cathedral" Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Plot Overview Chapter Three: Characters Chapter Four: Complete Summary Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

"If I Were You" revolves around an unhappy married couple, Mal and Jill. They are provided a chance to understand each other by discovering, quite literally, what either of them would do “If I were you.” In fact, the play provides them a chance to swap their bodies for some time. Earlier Alan Ayckbourn had made several attempts of writing a play about swapping bodies, and this play is also included in one of those attempts. In the year 1990, another play “Body Language” was premiered. It was about a fat woman and a thin woman. They swap their bodies from the neck down following a botched operation. Literature Help: If I Were You Copyright Chapter One: Introduction and Background Chapter Two: Setting Chapter Three: Characters Chapter Four: Plot Summary Chapter Five: Critical Analysis