Product Description
When first published in 1972, Survival was considered the most startling book ever written about Canadian literature. Since then, it hascontinued to be read and taught, and it continues to shape the way Canadians look at themselves. Distinguished, provocative, and written in effervescent, compulsively readable prose, Survival is simultaneously a book of criticism, a manifesto, and a collection of personal and subversive remarks. Margaret Atwood begins by asking: “What have been the central preoccupations of our poetry and fiction?” Her answer is “survival and victims.”

Atwood applies this thesis in twelve brilliant, witty, and impassioned chapters; from Moodie to MacLennan to Blais, from Pratt to Purdy to Gibson, she lights up familiar books in wholly new perspectives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Surprised by the shortage of reviews
This book was published in 1972.I find it odd there there is only one review (preceeding my comment).Surely, the audience for whom it was intended might have something to say about the book.

A useful way to look at Canadian literature
Atwood's Survival was a seminal book for me back in the 1970's. Her theory that there are national themes in literature is very useful for studying cultures generally. The rap on the book is that she has not done athorough, scholarly job of research and tends to favour references to bookswritten by her friends or published by her publisher. I think this isunfair. She is a working writer, not an academic, and she herself notes thebook's scholarly limitations. The real fun is in taking the book's thesesand running with them yourself.

Atwood sees the essential Canadianliterary theme as the survival in the title: the survival of winter,imposed on us as Canadians by our geography and climate.

A verythought-provoking book. ... Read more

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The Routledge Concise History of Canadian Literature introduces the fiction, poetry and drama of Canada in its historical, political and cultural contexts.

In this clear and structured volume, Richard Lane outlines:

• the history of Canadian literature from colonial times to the present
• key texts for Canadian First Peoples and the literature of Quebec
• the impact of English translation, regional literatures, and the Canadian immigrant experience.
• critical themes such as landscape, ethnicity, orality, textuality, war and nationhood
• contemporary debate on the canon, feminism, postcoloniality, queer theory, and cultural and ethnic diversity
• the work of canonical and lesser-known writers from Catherine Parr and Susan Moodie to Robert Service, Maria Campbell and Douglas Copeland.

Written in an engaging and accessible style and offering a glossary, maps and annotated further reading sections, this guidebook is a crucial resource for students working in the field of Canadian Literature.

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From Aboriginal writing to Margaret Atwood, this is a complete English-language history of Canadian writing in English and French from its beginnings. The multi-authored volume pays special attention to works from the 1960s and after, to multicultural and Indigenous writing, popular literature, and the interaction of anglophone and francophone cultures throughout Canadian history. Established genres such as fiction, drama and poetry are discussed alongside forms of writing which have traditionally received less attention, such as the essay, nature-writing, life-writing, journalism, and comics, and also writing in which the conventional separation between genres has broken down, such as the poetic novel. Written by an international team of distinguished scholars, the volume includes a separate, substantial section discussing major genres in French, as well as a detailed chronology of historical and literary/cultural events, and an extensive bibliography covering criticism in English and French. ... Read more

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With selections from over 90 of Canada's most outstanding writers, this revised third edition of the extraordinarily popular Anthology of Canadian Literature in English showcases the remarkable diversity and vitality of English Canadian literature from its origins in the eighteenth century to the present. Bringing together a wide range of short fiction, poetry, and settler narratives, the anthology presents the country's pioneering authors, beloved favourites, and important new writers who epitomize all that English Canadian literature has to offer. Fully annotated and with up-to-date headnotes, this volume is essential reading for students of Canadian literature. ... Read more

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This book studies the work of some of Canada's most prominent fiction writers in the context of postmodernism. Hutcheon shows that in Canada, this cultural phenomenon has not only found particularly fertile ground on which to develop but has also taken a distinctive form. She examines contemporary cultural theory and the writings of Margaret Atwood, Clark Blaise, George Bowering, Leonard Cohen, Timothy Findley, Jack Hodgins, Robert Kroetsch, Michael Ondaatje, Chris Scott, Susan Swan, Audrey Thomas, Aritha van Herk, and others. ... Read more

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Eva-Marie Kröller's comprehensive introduction to major writers, genres and topics in Canadian literature takes into consideration relevant social, political and economic developments. Broad surveys of fiction, drama, and poetry are complemented by chapters on Aboriginal writing, francophone writing, autobiography, literary criticism, writing by women, and the emergence of urban writing in a country traditionally defined by its regions. Nature-writing, exploration- and travel-writing, and short fiction are also covered.Eva-Marie Kroller is Professor at University of British Columbia and editor of the journal Canadian Literature. Her previous books include Canadian Travellers in Europe, 1851-1900 (UBC Press, 1987), George Bowering (Talonbooks, 1992) and Pacific Encounters (with A. Smith, J. Mostow, R. Kramer) (Institute of Asian Research, UBC, 1997). ... Read more

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'New offers an unconventionally structured overview of Canadian literature, from Native American mythologies to contemporary texts' - "Publishers Weekly". "A History of Canadian Literature" looks at the work of writers and the social and cultural contexts that helped shape their preoccupations and direct their choice of literary form. W.H. New explains how - from early records of oral tales to the writing strategies of the early twenty-first century - writer, reader, literature, and society are interrelated.New discusses both Aboriginal and European mythologies, looking at pre-Contact narratives and also at the way Contact experience altered hierarchies of literary value. He then considers representations of the 'real', whether in documentary, fantasy, or satire; historical romance and the social construction of Nature and State; and, ironic subversions of power, the politics of cultural form, and the relevance of the media to a representation of community standard and individual voice. New suggests some ways in which writers of the later twentieth century codified such issues as history, gender, ethnicity, and literary technique itself.In this second edition, he adds a lengthy chapter that considers how writers at the turn of the twenty-first century have reimagined their society and their roles within it, and an expanded chronology and bibliography.Some of these writers have spoken from and about various social margins (dealing with issues of race, status, ethnicity, and sexuality), some have sought emotional understanding through strategies of history and memory, some have addressed environmental concerns, and some have reconstructed the world by writing across genres and across different media. All genres are represented, with examples chosen primarily, but not exclusively, from anglophone and francophone texts. A chronology, plates, and a series of tables supplement the commentary. ... Read more

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An introduction to literature and also a text for courses in composition, multicultural, or contemporary American literature.

Contemporary, Cross-Cultural, American Writing. With 28 stories, 30 essays and autobiographical narratives, 90 poems , and 6 plays, New Worlds of Literature, Second Edition, Brings together vibrant new Writing that reflects the diverse ethnic, cultural, and social worlds of North America and the Caribbean today. Among the many writers new to the Second Edition are Julia Alvarez, Sandra Cisneros, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Tato Laviera, David Leavitt, Derek Walcott, and John  Edgar Wideman.

A Strengthened Connection between Reading and Writing. Nine student papers, a new section on writing about literature, an abundance of writing topics and study questions, thematic chapter introductions, and Afterwords on the elements of literature together guide students toward careful reading and thoughtful writing.

Instructor's Guide This handy guide, by Carolina Hospital, Miami-Dade Community College, and Carlos Medina, includes suggestions for activities and writing topics, discussions of each selection in the text, teaching strategies, and sample syllabi. Available to instructors upon request.

Voices of New Worlds Video This video of three writers reading from their work—Agha Shahid Ali, Judith Ortiz Cofer, and Alberto Alvaro Ríos—brings the selections in New Worlds of Literature, Second Edition, to life in your classroom. Available upon adoption.

Customer Reviews (2)

Outstanding Contemporary Literature Book
What I like about this book is the diversity it offers in terms of the authors published in the book.It is very much appreciated reading about contemporary authors who are Native-Americans, African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Asian-Americans, and the like.Their views and writings certainly have added a diverse perspective to the world of literature. The poems, short stories, essays, and fictional drama pieces in the book open a new dimension and perspective in literature.The writings are refreshing and stimulating.They are closely related to reality and allow the imaginative spirit to expand and create specific imagery to go with selected pieces in the book.The instructive portion of the text is wonderful.Each chapter starts with an introduction and insight of what is to come.It breaks down the reading in such a way that the understanding is clear and unambiguous.The variety of exercises following each chapter allows for new perspectives, discussions, visions, and interpretations.This is an excellent book to read.Other excellent books to read are:"Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul" with the new Epulaeryu poetry form; "The Language of Poetry Forms" by Tree Good; and, "Everyday Miracles" by Margaret Okubo.

Literature from America's many ethnic groups
I have used this book for several years as a text in Composition classes. I even used it in writing classes in Africa. It's a "multicultural" text. The wonderful choices (fiction, nonfiction,poetry, drama) show that no matter who you are, you can use the powerfultool of the English language to write about your own experiences. Seemsobvious, but perhaps not. Great writing suggestions, too, just about aperfect book. It's too expensive, of course. But in the end, worth it. Iwish they'd come out with a third edition! ... Read more

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The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature was first published in 1983 to great acclaim. In the fourteen years since its publication Canadian literature has enjoyed an explosion of creative talent. This exciting new edition reflects this vivid flowering, adding more than 360 new entries as well as updating material from the original to reflect recent publications and changes in the biographies of writers previously included. As before, the entries cover fiction, prose, poetry, and drama, prominent writers, literary magazines, and publishers. Highlights include The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Sandra Birdsell, Neil Bissoondath, Boston Mills Press, Caribbean-Canadian literature, Censorship, Creeps, The English Patient, William Gibson, Gay and Lesbian Literature, Barbara Gowdy, The Handmaid's Tale, Alberto Manguel, and The Rebel Angels, among many others. This completely revised edition is not only an indispensable resource, but a browser's delight for anyone interested in Canadian literature. ... Read more

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First published in 1987, The New Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories was hailed as "a world-class anthology" in The Washington Post Book World and as "a banquet of stories...to be savored and enjoyed over and over again" in The Philadelphia Inquirer.Now, in The New Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories, Margaret Atwood and Robert Weaver have compiled an updated anthology that surpasses the original in historical and regional balance while providing fiction lovers with another superb collection of works in a handy paperback format.

Featuring forty-five stories, four more than in the first edition, and including new stories by eighteen of the writer featured in the original, The New Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories offers an engaging survey of Canada's leading writers and finest short stories. But perhaps the most exciting feature is the presence of many new writers, including Thomas King, Carol Shields, Rohinton Mistry, and Dionne Brand, writers who underscore Atwoods conviction that the Canadian short story will continue to grow, mutate, re-seed itself, and flourish. The New Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories, revised and updated, reflects the increasing diversity of the genre and the growing reputation of a new generation of Canadian writers. It belongs on the shelf of all aficionados of short fiction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An amazing collection
This is truely an amazing collection - incl. stories by Thomas H. Randdall, Alice Munro, Alistair MacLeod, W.D. Valgardson and Neil Bissoondath. Very clever stories that will make you laugh, think and intrigue you. There is a great variation of stories and writers. This is the book that made me get into Canadian writers. It is still one of the best collections of shortstories that I own.
If you like short stories you should also try: Alistair MacLeod - 'Island collected stories', Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) 'Seven Gothic Tales', or 'The Collected Short Stories of Roald Dahl'.

Wonderful.Wonderful.
I enjoyed all the short stories in this book, but my all-time favorite was the one written by Sandra Birdsell.She grabbed me with the first paragraph and she took me along for an adventure I'll not soon forget; Birdsell is an amazing writer.Overall, this book is a pleasure to read and I recommend it highly. ... Read more

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The five complete and unabridged works collected here are parts of a long and passionate testimony about American Indian culture as related by Indians themselves. Deep emotions and life-shaking crises converge in these pages concerning identity, family, community, caste, gender, nature, the future, the past, solitude, duty, trust, betrayal, leadership, war, and apocalypse. Each work is also regarded as a classic of Native literature and has much to teach.

The Life of Kah-ge-ga-gah-bowh (1847) by George Copway, a Canadian Ojibwe writer and lecturer, describes his unique and difficult cultural journey from the tiny village of his youth to the legislatures of the world, speaking for the rights and sovereignty of Indians.

The Soul of the Indian (1911) by Charles Eastman, a physician and mixed-blood Sioux, depicts "the religious life of the typical American Indian as it was before he knew the white man."

American Indian Stories (1921) by Zitkala-Ša, one of the most famous Sioux writers and activists of the modern era, includes legends and tales from oral tradition, childhood stories, and allegorical fiction.

Coyote Stories (1933) by Mourning Dove, an Okanagan writer, retells the popular trickster tales of Coyote, the most resilient character in all of American literature.

Black Elk Speaks (1932) as told through John G. Neihardt, is the spacious religious vision and candid life story of a Lakota holy man. Neihardt and Black Elk collaborated to produce a unique and inspirational work.

Willis G. Regier is the director of the University of Illinois Press and the author of Book of the Sphinx(Nebraska 2004) ... Read more

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Canada's rich, diverse literary heritage has long attracted widespread recognition, and in recent years Canadian writers have won nearly every major international literary award.The breadth and sophistication of Canada's literature demands precisely the kind of critical reflection that W.H. New's comprehensive Encyclopedia of Literature in Canada now offers to readers.

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Odysseys Home: Mapping African-Canadian Literature is a pioneering study of African-Canadian literary creativity, laying the groundwork for future scholarly work in the field. Based on extensive excavations of archives and texts, this challenging passage through twelve essays presents a history of the literature and examines its debt to, and synthesis with, oral cultures. George Elliott Clarke identifies African-Canadian literature's distinguishing characteristics, argues for its relevance to both African Diasporic Black and Canadian Studies, and critiques several of its key creators and texts.

Scholarly and sophisticated, the survey cites and interprets the works of several major African-Canadian writers, including AndrT Alexis, Dionne Brand, Austin Clarke, Claire Harris, and M. Nourbese Philip. In so doing, Clarke demonstrates that African-Canadian writers and critics explore the tensions that exist between notions of universalism and black nationalism, liberalism and conservatism.These tensions are revealed in the literature in what Clarke argues to be - paradoxically - uniquely Canadian and proudly apart from a mainstream national identity.

Clarke has unearthed vital but previously unconsidered authors, and charted the relationship between African-Canadian literature and that of Africa, African America, and the Caribbean. In addition to the essays, Clarke has assembled a seminal and expansive bibliography of texts - literature and criticism - from both English and French Canada.This important resource will inevitably challenge and change future academic consideration of African-Canadian literature and its place in the international literary map of the African Diaspora.

Customer Reviews (2)

Lays an important foundation
The term "African American" doesn't usually invoke images north of the 49th parallel, but it should. Not only because Canada was the longed for "Canaan Land" of so many spirituals and therefore, the ultimate home of many escaped slaves, nor because Nova Scotia and New France also had slaves, but because black communities have been a part of what we now call "Canada" since the beginning. George Elliott Clarke , an award winning poet, playwright, critic and scholar , is very much part of the literary map of Canada; this book gathers together a representative selection of his essays and reviews published over a decade and demonstrates that African-Canadian literature is not a recent phenomenon. His map covers vast and diverse territory , including the status of African-American culture as a "model for blackness," black and white racial metaphors in Quebecois literature, black women's search for history and more. This is a great introduction for newcomers, and a foundation for students in the field.

Lays an important foundation
The term "African American" doesn't usually invoke images north of the 49th parallel, but it should. Not only because Canada was the longed for "Canaan Land" of so many spirituals and therefore, the ultimate home of many escaped slaves, nor because Nova Scotia and New France also had slaves, but because black communities have been a part of what we now call "Canada" since the beginning. George Elliott Clarke , an award winning poet, playwright, critic and scholar , is very much part of the literary map of Canada; this book gathers together a representative selection of his essays and reviews published over a decade and demonstrates that African-Canadian literature is not a recent phenomenon. His map covers vast and diverse territory , including the status of African-American culture as a "model for blackness," black and white racial metaphors in Quebecois literature, black women's search for history and more. This is a great introduction for newcomers, and a foundation for students in the field. ... Read more

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This eagerly-anticipated anthology offers canonical and non-canonical texts from American, British, and Canadian Romantic writers.This long-overdue anthology of Romantic literature meets the growing demand for a coherent and flexible transatlantic Romantic reader.It offers a range of representative materials by the most central, as well as non-canonical, North American and British figures. Thematic groupings and companion readings, strategically integrated throughout the book, work together to provide lively and illuminating views of the major literary, cultural, and political debates of the transatlantic Romantic century. Accessible and engaging introductions and headnotes lead to an even greater appreciation and understanding of the prose and poetry of the transatlantic Romantic era. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Transatlantic Romanticism
I actually messed up my order and I emailed the seller and they sent it right away! It was also very awesome to get at least one book on time and to have fun toy story packaging!! I am a college student so it made my life just a little bit easier!! Thanks :D

Worth Every Penny -- A Definitive Anthology of Literature from the Romantic Period
TRANSATLANTIC ROMANTICISM is a must-buy for fans of poetry or prose of the Romantic period.While by no means an exhaustive source of material for any of the notables within, this excellent anthology makes sure to include everything it can from Wordsworth to Thoreau to Equiano to Poe.

The price might seem a bit much at a glance, but I promise that after you see just how much is in this volume that you won't regret a single penny. ... Read more

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This volume, now in its third updated edition, provides a wide-ranging survey of writing in English by Canadian Native authors. Beginning with traditional songs and works by early Native writers such as Joseph Brant and John Brant-Sero, George Copway and Pauline Johnson, the anthology turns to a selection of short stories, plays, poems, and essays by contemporary writers drawn from a wide range of peoples and nations from across Canada. ... Read more