Hazlitt on English Literature: An Introduction to the Appreciation of Literature

This volume gathers the most vibrant of Hazliff’s critical essays, presenting them as a clear guide for anyone eager to understand what makes great literature endure. The editor’s introduction frames Hazlitt’s lively personality as inseparable from his criticism, showing how his keen eye and conversational style make even complex ideas approachable for students and casual readers alike.

Spanning from the Elizabethan dawn through the flowering of the Romantic revival, the selections trace the evolution of English letters in a near‑continuous narrative. Alongside rigorous assessments of Shakespeare, the poets, and comic writers, Hazliff peppers his commentary with personal recollections of the authors he admired, offering an intimate glimpse into the literary world of his time.

Helpful notes accompany each essay, identifying quotations and clarifying allusions, while preserving Hazliff’s original spelling and punctuation. The result is a readable, comprehensive introduction that invites listeners to experience the power and beauty of English literature through the eyes of one of its most enthusiastic early critics.