Chapter and Verse - by Peter Brown (Paperback)

About the Book

"Chapter and Verse: A Reader's History of English Literature offers a compelling reimagining of literary history--one that places the reader's experience at the heart of the narrative. Unlike traditional surveys of English literature that prioritize chronology and critical consensus, Peter Brown's approach emphasizes the subjective, evolving relationship between reader and text. This unique perspective addresses a long-standing gap in the field, emphasizing the emotional and intellectual engagements that shape how literature is received, remembered, and reinterpreted across a lifetime"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Presents a personal and thematic journey through English literature from Chaucer to the present

Chapter and Verse: A Reader's History of English Literature offers a compelling reimagining of literary history--one that places the reader's experience at the heart of the narrative. Unlike traditional surveys of English literature that prioritize chronology and critical consensus, Peter Brown's approach emphasizes the subjective, evolving relationship between reader and text. This unique perspective addresses a long-standing gap in the field, emphasizing the emotional and intellectual engagements that shape how literature is received, remembered, and reinterpreted across a lifetime.

Structured around thematic chapters--such as "Performance," "Fragments," and "Home"-- Chapter and Verse spans the medieval to the contemporary, exploring Chaucer, Shakespeare, Eliot, and other canonical figures alongside neglected or overlooked authors such as Charlotte Dacre and Abdulrazak Gurnah. Each chapter blends literary analysis with personal narrative, beginning with formative reading experiences and culminating in a scholarly vantage point honed over decades of teaching. The result is both intimate and instructive, offering detailed engagements with texts and authors contextualized within broader literary movements.

Uniquely integrating personal memoir with a thematic and chronological overview of English literature, Chapter and Verse:

• Explores literature's emotional and transformative power through lived reading experiences
• Reflects decades of university-level teaching across the full span of English literary history
• Provides accessible entry points into complex literary periods through thematic framing
• Includes notes and recommended readings at the end of each chapter to encourage further exploration
• Offers a fresh pedagogical approach that highlights how personal engagement can enhance critical analysis

Chapter and Verse: A Reader's History of English Literature is a must-read for advanced secondary students, undergraduates, and postgraduates studying English literature, as well as general readers seeking a more personal connection to the history of English literature.

From the Back Cover

LITERATURE REMEMBERED, REVISITED, AND REIMAGINED: A SCHOLAR'S JOURNEY THROUGH THE ENGLISH CANON

Chapter and Verse offers a fresh and deeply personal perspective on the literary tradition. Moving beyond the conventional survey, Peter Brown intertwines a chronological account of English literature with his own evolving experience as a reader--from childhood encounters with adventure stories and religious texts to his academic career as a teacher and scholar. The result is a rich and engaging narrative that explores how literature can shape, challenge, and accompany us throughout life.

Organized thematically, each chapter highlights a specific aspect of literary experience--such as performance, translation, or identity--while examining a selection of texts spanning from the Middle Ages to the present. Alongside major figures such as Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Woolf, Brown brings attention to overlooked authors who deserve renewed consideration. Throughout the book, personal reflections and close readings show how the emotional and intellectual power of literature endures across time, and how our interpretations grow as we do.

Ideal for students and general readers alike, Chapter and Verse invites engagement on multiple levels. It offers a fresh pedagogical tool for courses in English literature, fosters critical introspection among emerging scholars, and enriches anyone who has ever been changed by a book.

About the Author

PETER BROWN is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Kent and former Academic Director of its Paris School of Arts and Culture. A Fulbright Scholar and founding editor-in-chief of Literature Compass, he also serves as general editor of the Blackwell Histories of Literature series. His teaching portfolio spans the full breadth of English literary history in both the UK and the US.