British literature deserves a very important position in English literature. With its long history and deep-rooted realist tradition, British literature is still vigorous and influential in the world literature.

Literature is a record of history and contains the wisdom of the past generations. Historical events and the great men have left their traces in the river of time; this provides rich materials for literary creation. Consequently, to read literature is to share the wisdom of the past and to experience the exciting times with ancestors. In this way when we are reading British literature, we are to read the rich chronological files of England, come closer to the essence of British culture and communicate with the past, present and future of England. To read British literature is to conduct a conversation between Chinese culture and British culture.

English has become the first commonly used language in the world and it is official language in many countries in Asia, in Europe, in Africa, in Australia and in America. As the art of language, English literature is the product of creative use of language, i.e. British literature is the best of English language. In order to learn English well, we must read part of British literature.

Selected Readings in British Literature aims to give students a general picture of the origin, evolution and history of British Literature from Old English period (450CE—1066) to the period of modernism (1945-- ) with emphasis on the major writers of each period and their representative works. Consequently, after this course, learners will be able to:

1) Appreciatively understand the originals

2) Grasp the basic literary criticism and techniques

3) Be familiar with British culture, philosophy, value and history