author
Hugh Walker
1855–1939
A Scottish literary scholar and teacher, he helped generations of readers make sense of English literature through clear, wide-ranging criticism. His books on the Victorian age, the essay, and the English novel became well-known guides for students and general readers alike.
1 Audiobook
The Age of Tennyson
by Hugh Walker
About the author
Born in Kilbirnie, Scotland, on January 7, 1855, he studied at Glasgow and then at Balliol College, Oxford, before beginning an academic career in English and philosophy. He taught at St David's College, Lampeter, and later became Professor of English at the University of Texas, building a reputation as a thoughtful and energetic teacher.
He is best remembered for literary histories and critical studies that aimed to make big stretches of English literature approachable without losing depth. Among his notable works are The Literature of the Victorian Era, The English Essay and Essayists, and The English Novel, books that reflect his strong interest in how writers, periods, and ideas connect.
Walker died in 1939, but his work still gives a lively picture of how English literature was taught and understood in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His writing is especially appealing to listeners who enjoy criticism that is learned, direct, and shaped by a real love of reading.