World Literature

World Literature is an increasingly influential subject in literary studies, which has led to the re-framing of contemporary ideas of ‘national literatures’, language and translation. _x000D_ World Literature: A Reader brings together thirty essential readings which display the theoretical foundations of the subject, as well as showing its conceptual development over a two hundred year period._x000D_ The book features:_x000D_ _x000D_ _x000D_ an illuminating introduction to the subject, with suggested reading paths to help readers navigate through the materials_x000D_ _x000D_ _x000D_ texts exploring key themes such as globalization, cosmopolitanism, post/trans-nationalism, and translation and nationalism_x000D_ _x000D_ _x000D_ writings by major figures including J. W. Goethe, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Longxi Zhao, David Damrosch, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Pascale Casanova and Milan Kundera._x000D_ _x000D_ The early explorations of the meaning of ‘Weltliteratur’ are introduced, while twenty-first century interpretations by leading scholars today show the latest critical developments in the field. The editors offer readers the ideal introduction to the theories and debates surrounding the impact of this crucial area on the modern literary landscape.