I’m studying English and one of my modules this semester is on British literature of the 18th & 19th centuries, with a focus on how the texts reflect the social/cultural/political situation or key events/preoccupations of the time, and whether their themes are still relevant today (e.g. ‘Frankenstein’ reflecting society’s concerns and fears about scientific and medical advances).
The texts were published between 1706 to 1898 so there were obviously a lot of changes during this time. I’m absolutely not a historian and only have a very limited knowledge of this period so I’m looking for either:
– light and easy-reading non-fiction books that explain the basic events and social/cultural changes of one or both centuries in Britain
– recently written fiction that’s set in Britain during this period and gives a historically accurate idea of what was going on at the time
by mariedefrance80