特色：
ThisisanattempttowriteahistoryofEnglishliteratureadmittedlywithaninnovativeapproach.ThetraditionalaswellasthemoremodernviewsintheWestonliterarymovements，schools，traditionsandinfluencesinthefieldofEnglishliteratureandonindividualEnglishauthorsandtheirmajorandminorworksareheregivenduerespectandseriousconsideration，butwiththereservationsometimestodifferandoccasionallytointroducenewandtotallycontraryjudgmentsfromtheviewpointofhistoricalmaterialismi.e.，thewritersandtheirwritingsaretobegiventheirproperplacesineachcaseinaccordancewiththeroles，healthfulorotherwise，thattheyplayintheprogressofhistory，socialandliterary.Ofcourse，whetherorhowfarhaveIsucceededinthesepagesinlivinguptothetheoryadvancedaboveawaitsjudgmentfrommyreaders. ThishistoryiswrittenprimarilyforChinesereaders，inparticularforChinesecollegestudentsmajoringinEnglishlanguageandliterature，withtheaimtogivethemahistoricalsurveyofEnglishliteraturefromitsearliestbeginningsdowntothe20thcentury.AsmanycollegestudentsinChinatodayarebeingintroducedforthefirsttimetoEnglishliteratureinanysystematicway，biographicalsketchesofthemajorwritersandratherdetailedresumesoftheirmajorworksaregenerallyprovidedinthishistory，beforeIenterintoanyseriousdiscussionsontheauthorsandtheirwritings. Acompanion-bookprovidingstudentswithselectionsfromrepresentativeworksofrepresentativeEnglishauthors，arrangedchronologicallyandaccompaniedwithintroductoryremarksandnotes，isexpectedtoappearatthesametimeasthishistory.Itishopedthatthetwobookstogether，thishistoryand“SelectedReadingsinEnglishLiterature”，willgivethestudentsarudimentaryknowledgeofEnglishliteratureinitshistoricaldevelopment. InviewofthevastlydifferentlevelsofproficiencyintheEnglishlanguageamongEnglishmajorsinChinesecollegesanduniversitiestoday，ashorterhistorythanthis，writteninsimplerlanguage，seemsalsonecessaryforthepresent.Suchabookisnowbeingprepared.