author
George Saintsbury
1845–1933
A lively critic and literary historian, he helped generations of readers make sense of English and French literature. His writing was learned but energetic, and he became one of the most influential voices in literary criticism of his time.
15 Audiobooks
A History of Elizabethan Literature
by George Saintsbury
A history of criticism and literary taste in Europe from the earliest texts to the present day. Volume 2 (of 3), From the Renaissance to the decline of eighteenth century orthodoxy
by George Saintsbury
A history of criticism and literary taste in Europe, from the earliest texts to the present day. Volume 1 (of 3), Classical and mediæval criticism
by George Saintsbury
Sir Walter Scott
by George Saintsbury
The Flourishing of Romance and the Rise of Allegory (Periods of European Literature, vol. II)
by George Saintsbury
A Letter Book Selected with an Introduction on the History and Art of Letter-Writing
by George Saintsbury
Historical Manual of English Prosody
by George Saintsbury
Essays in English Literature, 1780-1860
by George Saintsbury
Matthew Arnold
by George Saintsbury
A History of Nineteenth Century Literature (1780-1895)
by George Saintsbury
A Short History of French Literature
by George Saintsbury
A History of the French Novel, Vol. 2 To the Close of the 19th Century
by George Saintsbury
A History of the French Novel, Vol. 1 From the Beginning to 1800
by George Saintsbury
The English Novel
by George Saintsbury
About the author
Born in Southampton on October 23, 1845, George Saintsbury was educated at King's College School in London and at Merton College, Oxford. Early in his career he taught in Guernsey and worked in journalism before becoming known as a major man of letters.
Saintsbury built his reputation through an enormous range of books, essays, and editions. He wrote influential studies of English prose, poetry, and the novel, and he also produced important work on French literature. His criticism was admired for its breadth of reading, confidence, and strong personal voice.
He later served as Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, a post that helped confirm his standing as a leading literary scholar. He died in Bath on January 28, 1933, leaving behind a body of work that still interests readers of literary history and criticism.