1) Daniel Defoe was an English writer who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and is even referred to by some as among the founders of the English novel.
2) Matthew Lewis was an English novelist and dramatist, often referred to as "Monk" Lewis, because of the success of his classic Gothic novel, The Monk.
3) Henry Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones.
4) Jonathan Swift is remembered for works such as Gulliver's Travels, A Modest Proposal, A Journal to Stella, Drapier's Letters, The Battle of the Books, An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity, and A Tale of a Tub.
5) Horace Walpole - Gothic fiction, as a genre, it is generally believed to have been invented by the English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto.
By the way, all the books above are Public Domain Books meaning you can read them for free.
Really informative post. Thanks. I've tweeted you.
ReplyDeleteI'd agree with your list. Pretty much the only five whose names are recognisable! I wonder how many 20th century authors will be household names in 300 years time?
ReplyDeleteInteresting list of authors! Thanks for pointing out that they're public domain, too.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm glad you like my list.
ReplyDeleteCD
Clarissa - I love this list!! I'm so glad you are doing this, too, since it's reminding me of authors I really need to read...
ReplyDeleteah, when I remember all the essays I wrote about Defoe and Fielding back at college .....
ReplyDeleteI haven't read all these author's works but I want to.
ReplyDeleteCD
Oooh, I'll have to check these out! Thanks! :D
ReplyDeleteI have read #1,3 and 4 are you thinking about teaching one of these days? you know so much its amazing
ReplyDeleteThanks for this, Clarissa. I haven't heard of the last author! Hm. I must rectify that and learn more.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read The Monk...must rectify that! Thanks Clarissa.
ReplyDeleteBut you left out Laurence Sterne and his Tristam Shandy, one of the greatest of comic novels.
ReplyDeleteGreat list- "the Monk" by Lewis is one of my favorites. Did you know he wrote that in six weeks...that's what over 700 pages in one month and two weeks? Impressive, specially for those of us doing NaNo.
ReplyDeleteHell yeah! Walpole is my boy! I'd put him at no.1. Defoe and Swift are cool too, but Walpole transcends the centuries.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Lewis?? Oh no - I'm so ignorant - I'm going who?!?!? LOL!! Ok - must go to the library and demand they lend me all his books!!
ReplyDelete:-)
Great list!! Thank you!
Take care
x
Excellent selection. I really should download some of their Gothic mysteries.
ReplyDeleteGreat list. I love Gulliver.
ReplyDeleteGulliver is awesome! Maybe I should reread that one of these days. :)
ReplyDeleteI read Robinson Crusoe in school and always enjoyed the movies they put out over the years.
ReplyDeleteAnother great list. I love Swift, Fielding and Defoe. I haven't read "The Monk" or "The Castle of Otranto" but I want to as I really like the classic gothic novels.
ReplyDeleteI would have to include Dr Samuel Johnson in my list. Although most of his great works were nonfiction "Rasselas" is superb, and his dictionary has been an enormous influence on many fiction writers as well as on the English language as a whole. (But then, I'm such a rabid Johnson fan that I'd advocate putting Johnson on any list of top writers. Don't be surprised if I photoshop a portrait of him into a dress and then suggest him for a top list of female writers in the future.) :-)
This is an interesting list. I'm especially fond of the Robinson Crusoe story. Maybe it's time to pick up some old favorites again.
ReplyDeleteLove this post. Have read Defoe before. Hated he didn't use chapters in Moll Flanders, but the book was great. Even for a stuff old lit. it was good.
ReplyDeleteJ
I will never forget my 6th grade teacher, a fair Nordic American, reading Gulliver's Travels to us. When she got to the part where the Lilliputians looked up as they marched between Gulliver's legs my teacher turned red from the neck up. LOL
ReplyDeleteGreat works all.
Mary Montague Sike is at my blog with her blog book tour. Nancy
N. R. Williams, fantasy author
Just a comment to jrlindermuth ... Laurence Sterne was technically Irish, so Clarissa can be forgiven for not including him in a list of British writers. But I agree that Tristam Shandy is a book worthy of mention!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great list! I'm afraid I haven't read any of these - I feel so illiterate now. :(
ReplyDeleteI read Gulliver's Travels so many moons ago. I should pick that up again. And I see their making a movie based on this story. Saw the coming attraction sign at the theatres a few days ago.
ReplyDeleteGreat list. Interesting that they are in public domain. Good for readers.
ReplyDeleteMason
Thoughts in Progress
Great list. Very thought provoking The only one I haven't heard of s Matthew Lewis. :O)
ReplyDeletehi miss clarissa! that a pretty cool list. our mom was english and she read lots of those kinds of books to us. the ones i could mostly remember off your list is robinson crusoe and gullivers travels. i hope you have a nice weekend.
ReplyDelete...hugs from lenny
A great list!
ReplyDeleteI believe all, or most of these books are currently free on Amazon.com for Kindle users...