Four British Fantasists: Place and Culture in the Children's Fantasies of Penelope Lively, Alan Garner, Diana Wynne Jones, and Susan Cooper

This is a well-written and extremely scholarly work.

A literate, illuminating look at four authors…Since many of today”s undergraduates grew up with these writers, this important title should not be limited to academic libraries supporting graduate and undergraduate children”s literature courses. It belongs in any library that serves a liberal-arts curriculum. It is highly readable, commandingly intelligent, and refreshingly jargon-free. A seminal work of criticism.

…the thoughtfulness and depth of the scholarship that went into this study, and the intriguing perspectives from which Butler considers these four premiere British fantasy authors, have resulted in a work that is well worth returning to again and again. — Martha Hixon, Children”s Literature Association Quarterly Vol. 32, No. 3

Butler examines the work of four British authors of children”s fantasy fiction who began their careers during the 1960s and 1970s. Particular attention is paid to the role played by British history and culture in the development of their writing. The literary influence of such writers as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien is also considered. Butler (English literature, U. of the West of England) is the author of numerous fantasy novels for children and young adults.