A review by htoo
A Little History of Literature by John Sutherland

informative medium-paced

3.0

This book should be call “A Little History of Literature in English.” Overall, it was an informative read. The author’s exaltation of English literature can be annoying at times. There’s a point where he called Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) “the cradle of Western civilization.” Ironic considering merry old England helped invade said country. The chapters on empire and race are extremely lacking. That Philip Roth example was cringe. I wish the author would acknowledge that Shakespeare is known worldwide not because he is “great,” but because colonialism does a lot of the heavy lifting. End of rant.