A Reading List for English Applicants
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Original post by LeSacMagique
Maybe find an English translation of Metamorphoses.
Just ordered it on Amazon
Thank you!
Original post by Brighter_Star
Just ordered it on Amazon Thank you!
Thank you!A reference like the Oxford Companion to English Literature might also be useful, if you can find it cheaply.
Original post by MSB
A reference like the Oxford Companion to English Literature might also be useful, if you can find it cheaply.
Thanks for the tip! I have a (very) old edition of the Concise Companion lying around somewhere, but it doesn't cover any mythology. I'll keep an eye out, thank you!
Original post by MSB
A reference like the Oxford Companion to English Literature might also be useful, if you can find it cheaply.
Oxford Companion to Classical Civilisation is more useful if you're looking up classical myths, though. And some universities let you read it online for free.
Original post by andyyy
Oxford Companion to Classical Civilisation is more useful if you're looking up classical myths, though. And some universities let you read it online for free.
Yes, that would make sense. That's a good recommendation, I'm sure. My point being reference works might be more practical (but less fun) than going through primary texts.
(edited 11 years ago)
I carn't believe they dont publish reading lists until August.....i want a head start but this ovvo won't happen lol...anyone in same situation?
Is this reading list geared towards Literature students? Seems like it would be.
Original post by Dionysia
Am I the only person who didn't mention 1984, then?
Interestingly enough, neither did I. That's because I'm not a particular fan of that book...
Original post by mmmelm3
So I've read one of these, bit worrying...
Ahahaha, same
Original post by sophieeox4
I carn't believe they dont publish reading lists until August.....i want a head start but this ovvo won't happen lol...anyone in same situation?
Yeah I wanted to get a head start by reading some of them in summer to take the pressure off during the first year but that doesn't seem likely
For English Language, I recommend The Cambridge Encyclopedia of The English Language by David Crystal, Psycholinguistics (Steinberg, Nagata, Aline) and An Introduction to English Language: Sound, Word and Sentence by Kuiper and Allan.
For English Literature I suggest getting your hands on The Norton Anthology of English Literature. These come in sets but you can also buy them individually for specific time periods. We used Volume E during first year (The Victorian Age), and now we're moving on to Volume B for second year. These have lots of information, short stories, poems, mini (but very informative) biographies about some important figures at the time etc. I think it's a good idea to get these even if they're not used in your course just so you have some excellent background reading material. They're slightly pricey but I reckon it's worth it.
Here's a list of some texts we studied too:
Novels:
Howards End
Turn of the Screw
Lady Audley's Secret
Dr. Jeykll and Mr Hyde
The Time Machine
The Odd Women
Jane Eyre
Great Expectations
Plays:
Twelfth Night
Black Eye-d Susan
Hedda Gabler
Top Girls
The Caretaker
Resistible Rise Arturo Ui
Six Characters in Search of an Author
Handmaidens of Death
Mrs Warrens Profession
For English Literature I suggest getting your hands on The Norton Anthology of English Literature. These come in sets but you can also buy them individually for specific time periods. We used Volume E during first year (The Victorian Age), and now we're moving on to Volume B for second year. These have lots of information, short stories, poems, mini (but very informative) biographies about some important figures at the time etc. I think it's a good idea to get these even if they're not used in your course just so you have some excellent background reading material.
They're slightly pricey but I reckon it's worth it. Here's a list of some texts we studied too:
Novels:
Howards End
Turn of the Screw
Lady Audley's Secret
Dr. Jeykll and Mr Hyde
The Time Machine
The Odd Women
Jane Eyre
Great Expectations
Plays:
Twelfth Night
Black Eye-d Susan
Hedda Gabler
Top Girls
The Caretaker
Resistible Rise Arturo Ui
Six Characters in Search of an Author
Handmaidens of Death
Mrs Warrens Profession
Erm has anyone mentioned Dracula!?!?! Also I put this in my Personal Statement (in applying for 2014 for English and Creative Writing).
Is it alright that I only mention one author/text. A lot of you have said you've mentioned quite a few authors - I feel a bit silly just writing a paragraph on Dracula and it's author. :')
Is it alright that I only mention one author/text. A lot of you have said you've mentioned quite a few authors - I feel a bit silly just writing a paragraph on Dracula and it's author. :')
Original post by Cool_JordH
Erm has anyone mentioned Dracula!?!?! Also I put this in my Personal Statement (in applying for 2014 for English and Creative Writing).
Is it alright that I only mention one author/text. A lot of you have said you've mentioned quite a few authors - I feel a bit silly just writing a paragraph on Dracula and it's author. :')
Is it alright that I only mention one author/text. A lot of you have said you've mentioned quite a few authors - I feel a bit silly just writing a paragraph on Dracula and it's author. :')
There's no ideal amount of texts/authors to mention in a PS, but only talking about one might not be the best idea.
Original post by Cool_JordH
Erm has anyone mentioned Dracula!?!?! Also I put this in my Personal Statement (in applying for 2014 for English and Creative Writing).
Is it alright that I only mention one author/text. A lot of you have said you've mentioned quite a few authors - I feel a bit silly just writing a paragraph on Dracula and it's author. :')
Is it alright that I only mention one author/text. A lot of you have said you've mentioned quite a few authors - I feel a bit silly just writing a paragraph on Dracula and it's author. :')
If you only mention one text.... It sounds like you've only read/been interested in one text.... Which makes you sound like a very bad choice of student to study English. GET READING!
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iP
Original post by ChrissyH
I haven't read any of those books 
and I was thinking of studying English at Uni...Does this mean I shouldn't bother applying?
and I was thinking of studying English at Uni...Does this mean I shouldn't bother applying?Personally I don't think this should be the thing to put you off. If you are interested in English lit and think you'd enjoy it then I think you should go for it. I've applied for English literature and I haven't read an awful lot of these books. I think the most important thing is that you like reading. It doesn't matter what you read. I love reading but I haven't read loads of the books on this list. But at the end of the day it's completely your choice. Research english courses and ask people what they think. But if you're asked to study a set text then the tutors will probably give you time to read it and then you will start reading things off this list. Hope this helps. But it's entirely your choice. Good luck
Original post by Lovewriting247
Personally I don't think this should be the thing to put you off. If you are interested in English lit and think you'd enjoy it then I think you should go for it. I've applied for English literature and I haven't read an awful lot of these books. I think the most important thing is that you like reading. It doesn't matter what you read. I love reading but I haven't read loads of the books on this list. But at the end of the day it's completely your choice. Research english courses and ask people what they think. But if you're asked to study a set text then the tutors will probably give you time to read it and then you will start reading things off this list. Hope this helps. But it's entirely your choice. Good luck
Thanks a lot for your advice
...I don't suppose you would know if, within the English degree, there are modules or stuff related to the actual language stuff itself? Original post by PatrickB
If you only mention one text.... It sounds like you've only read/been interested in one text.... Which makes you sound like a very bad choice of student to study English. GET READING!
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iP
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iP
I've read many texts, quite obviously, but our Sixth Form Student Adviser has already made a plan for us, and we can only use 4,000 characters which includes spaces, letters and punctuation. Which I'd say is about a page worth. Baring in mind what I did say was only 1/4 of my PS done.
And I deny your statement... A) You don't know what is in my PS, B) I think it'd be quite obvious to the university that I haven't just read one flipping text! And C) How does expressing myself for one book mean I have only just read Dracula?
What kind of horse **** are you eating(?)
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