In this classic beginner's guide to English literature, Mario Klarer offers a concise and accessible discussion of central issues in the study of literary texts, looking at:definitions of key terms such as literature and textthe genres of fiction, poetry, drama, and filmperiods and classifications of literaturetheoretical approaches to text the use of secondary resourcesguidelines for writing research essays. The new and expanded edition is fully updated to include:a wider range of textual examples from world literatureadditional references to contemporary cinema, a section on comparative literaturean extended survey of literary periods and genresrecent changes in MLA guidelinesinformation on state-of-the-art citation management softwarethe use and abuse of online resources. The book also features suggestions for further reading as well as an extensive glossary of key terms.