Samuel Johnson: The Critical Heritage

The Critical Heritage gathers together a large body of critical sources on major figures in literature. Each volume presents contemporary responses to a writers work, enabling students and researchers to read for themselves, for example, comments on early performances of Shakespeares plays, or reactions to the first publication of Jane Austens novels. The carefully selected sources range from landmark essays in the history of criticism to journalism and contemporary opinion, and little published documentary material such as letters and diaries. Significant pieces of criticism from later periods are also included, in order to demonstrate the fluctuations in an authors reputation. Each volume contains an introduction to the writers published works, a selected bibliography, and an index of works, authors and subjects. The Collected Critical Heritage set will be available as a set of 68 volumes and the series will also be available in mini sets selected by period (in slipcase boxes) and as individual volumes.