Contents: Preface. 1. Nectar and thorns : love and tolerance in nectar in a Sieve and Train to Pakistan. 2. The idea of love in Sir George Etherege's plays. 3. The Dual vision of love in William Wycherley's plays. 4. The oval mirror : a note on Samuel Pepys' Diary. 5. Love for Love : Congreve's vision of life. 6. Aspects of English religious poetry. 7. Madame D'Arblay's diary. 8. Coleridge's expanded metaphor: a study of evil in his poetry. 9. Pessimistic trends in modern British poetry. 10. Modern English literature : a Panorama. 11. The crucial quest : Boethius' The consolation of philosophy and R.K. Narayan's The Guide. Index.

"This book, a collection of critical essays, focus, from a fresh perspective, on some notable works, aspects and ideas of English literature and Indian writing in English. Among the writers discussed are George Etherege, William Wycherley, Samuel Pepys, Madame D'Arblay, S.T. Coleridge, R.K. Narayan, Kamala Markandaya and Kushwant Singh. The writers and aspects of literature discussed in the book are meant to serve the needs of university students as well as serious critics and readers." (jacket)