The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. B: The Sixteenth Century The Early Seventeenth Century by M.H. Abrams

The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. B: The Sixteenth Century The Early Seventeenth Century Reviews

• 
  Erika Schoeps

  An absolute treasure trove of everything you need to read as a Literature major. I had an awesome time discussing everything in this book in class. If you're new to Literature, DON'T read it without a good professor to guide you through. I would've got nothing out of this without my great professor.
• 
  Paras2

  well, saying that I'm finished with this book is a total lie 'cause well, about 3000 pages, who can be done with it... but for my first reading, I read all the introductions but not the main texts, so... to be continued...
  
  **1st reading, so many more to come**
• 
  Diana

  Textbook for my British Literature class. If you would like a good overview of literature from the UK, during this time period it's a good book to start out with. Some very well known authors and some that you many not know the name of but will recognize the poem or story.
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  Yasmin

  Good selection of poetry and other texts ranging from the 16th century until the end of the interregnum period, the introductions each author is given is really helpful for understanding the works contextually, and to be honest I wouldn't enjoy much of these texts without the historical background and the fact that I am studying them.
  
  Leo Africanus, on North Africans
  Michel de Montaigne, of the Caniballes
  Walter Ralegh, discovery of Guiana
  Thomas More, Utopia, (haven't finished yet)
  Thomas Wyatt 3/5
  Henry Howard 2/5
  Queen Elizabeth, Tilbury speech, 5/5
  Edmund Spencer, extracts from Faerie Queene, 3/5
  Fulke Greville 2/5
  Phillip Sidney 3/5
  Christopher Marlowe, Dr Faustus, 4/5
  Shakespeare 4/5
  John Donne 2/5
  Aemilia Lanyer 3/5
  Ben Johnson 3/5
  Mary Wroth 3/5
  John Webster, Duchess of Malfi, (haven't finished yet)
  George Herbert 4/5
  Richard Lovelace 2/5
  Katherine Phillips 4/5
  Andrew Marvell 4/5
  John Milton, Paradise Lost 1-9, 4/5
• 
  Robin

  I like this series of textbooks. Each section has a clear, concise introduction to different aspects of that theme. It provides brief, informative biographies on each author. It includes a wide variety of authors and poets to choose from. There is no way you could cover everything in this book in one semester. It has wonderful footnotes to help clarify archaic words and phrases as well. All this is presented without any kind of opinion or critique, leaving the passages open for debate or personal interpretation. I really enjoyed it.
• 
  Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms

  This has a lot of interesting history of the period, as well as an introduction to the different genres and writers.
  
  Not something I would have read right now if I didn't have to read it for class, however, the Norton Anthologies never disappoint me.
• 
  allison riera :)

  / for my early modern british lit class.
• 
  Hana Ferguson

  For my Utopian lit class - has some great pieces in it!
• 
  Rachel Matsuoka

  Unpopular opinion: Canon = another word for overrated.
  
  But the editing team did a great job with the writers' biographies and introductions.
• 
  Phillip

  Love, love, love the Norton Anthologies. I've already reviewed Volume A, and most of the positive stuff I said is still true of this anthology. The introductory materials are good, and the selection of texts presented is comprehensive.
  
  One thing I'm not 100% happy about is the division within the book. There are two broad period overviews, one the the Tudor period and one to the Stuart period and Protectorate. While I get the rationale for drawing a dividing line at 1603, the division within the text suggests more of a break than a slight transition. I'd say that the division between Charles I and the Protectorate is probably more stark than the shift from Bess to James I, but I suppose it would be too cumbersome to divide things up any other way.
• 
  Jessica

  All in all, this is a great collection. The variety is wide, with a large number of different topics covered. The notes are helpful, and I can't criticise this book as an introduction to literature of the Renaissance period.
  The contents are, obviously, limited, and I dislike Norton's editorial process of altering texts written in English English to American spellings - I'd rather read what Shakespeare wrote than what some moronic American editor misspelt. American English is, obviously, appropriate for texts written in American English. American English hadn't been invented when these texts were written.
• 
  Vernon Ray

  Good selection, the best part was the seriously large section on Milton. Areopogetica was awesome. (It loses a star out of principal, I was forced to buy this book and forced to read it. Perhaps I'll revisit later.)
  
  Other highlights: Robert Herrick's poetry, Ben Johnson's Volpone, The Duchess of Malafi. I know there are others but these are the ones off the top of my head.
• 
  Christian Brown

  If you like English Literature, then invest in these works. Between Volumes 1 and 2, it covers all major works from the dawn of time to modern writers. It's got just about everything you'd ever want or need!
• 
  Sandra Hernandez

  Though I confess I have not read each poem and last story, the book itself is as guiding as the bible. It is full of morals, theories, teachings, laughter (unlike the bible), and truths. These stories are a challenge, a puzzle, a maze and when complete, a break through!
• 
  Alice

  As with Volume A, The Norton Anthology of English Literature is a comprehensive collection of mid century English literature.
  
  Truly the only unfortunate thing about it is the size: it is horrendous to carry around!
• 
  Tree

  The material in this anthology has a fantastic array of 16-17 c. works. I really wish it didn't feel like the book would fall apart in my next reading, though...
• 
  Judy

  For Brit Lit class
  
• 
  Elisa

  ~review pending~
• 
  Jewels

  Please see my review of volumes A & C, because the same opinion holds true for this volume.
• 
  Becky Hoffman

  Had to read this for my British Literature class, and I really enjoyed the collection of stories in it. Finally getting to read some Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Marlow.
• 
  Sannie Hald

  Read some of the context for university.
  
• 
  Mairéad (is roaming the Undying Lands)

  4.5 Stars.
  
  ***Read For School***
• 
  Clare

  Read for my degree, various books inside, all interesting in their own way. worth a read if interested in the time period.
• 
  Liz

  Sigh. I'm hooked.
• 
  Chantel

  I haven't read every story, but a large portion and I found some really great works in there. Stories I hope to tell my children one day!
• 
  Kristina

  Textbook for my Tudor British Literature class.
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  Roya

  Is it too dorky, that I actually wished the Milton part was much, much longer?
• 
  Jacque

  Love the Shakespeare unit! Twelfth Night was hilarious and sad!
• 
  McKenzie

  All in all a good anthology.
  Frustrating that it had ALMOST all of Milton's Paradise Lost, then randomly decided to leave off the last few books.