Books like The Routledge history of literature in English by Carter, Ronald

A compelling collection of essays where Zadie Smith blends personal reflection, literary criticism, and cultural commentary, exploring topics from film and American politics to identity and creative process.

This "little history" takes on a very big subject: the glorious span of literature from Greek myth to graphic novels, from 'The Epic of Gilgamesh' to 'Harry Potter.' John Sutherland is perfectly suited to the task. He has researched, taught, and written on virtually every area of literature, and his infectious passion for books and reading has defined his own life. Now he guides young readers and the grown-ups in their lives on an entertaining journey "through the wardrobe" to a greater awareness of how literature from across the world can transport us and help us to make sense of what it means to be human. Sutherland introduces great classics in his own irresistible way, enlivening his offerings with humor as well as learning: 'Beowulf,' Shakespeare, 'Don Quixote,' the Romantics, Dickens, 'Moby Dick,' 'The Waste Land,' Woolf, "1984," and dozens of others. He adds to these a less-expected, personal selection of authors and works, including literature usually considered well below 'serious attention.'

A comprehensive, authoritative reference guide to English literary culture, updated in 1985 under Margaret Drabble’s editorship and expanded with nearly sixty new entries on contemporary novelists, poets, and dramatists.