European Literature:
A Journey Through Literary
Masterpieces
European literature refers to literature of Europe that
includes literature in many languages:
English
Spanish
French
Dutch
Polish
German
Italian
Greek
Czech
Russian
Important classical and medieval traditions are those in
Latin
Ancient Greek
Old Norse
Medieval French
Italian Tuscan dialect
of the renaissance
Classical Period (Ancient Greece & Rome)
• The Iliad and The Odyssey – Homer (Ancient
Greece)
• Aeneid – Virgil (Ancient Rome)
• Oedipus Rex – Sophocles (Ancient Greece)
• The Republic – Plato (Ancient Greece)
Medieval Literature (5th – 15th Century)
• Beowulf – (Anglo-Saxon epic)
• The Divine Comedy – Dante Alighieri (Italy)
• The Canterbury Tales – Geoffrey Chaucer (England)
• The Song of Roland – (French epic)
Renaissance Literature (14th – 17th Century)
• Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet – William
Shakespeare (England)
• Don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes (Spain)
• Paradise Lost – John Milton (England)
19th Century Literature
(Romanticism, Realism, and
Early Modernism)
• Frankenstein – Mary Shelley
(England)
• Pride and Prejudice – Jane
Austen (England)
• Les Misérables – Victor Hugo
(France)
• Crime and Punishment –
Fyodor Dostoevsky (Russia)
• Moby-Dick – Herman
Melville (USA)
European Literature has been known for its significant
contribution to world literature. It is from Europe
developed the standards and techniques in writing
literature where the rest of the world are using or
innovating and following to make writing good. Their
innovation and creativity have influenced generations after
generations of writers.
Key writers: Geoffrey Chaucer, Sir Gawain, Piers Plowman
21st Century Representative European Authors
European literature has a long and rich
tradition, evolving from classical epics to
modern novels that shape contemporary
storytelling. Today’s European writers
continue to influence global literature,
producing works that explore themes of
identity, history, fantasy, and human
nature.
Joanne Rowling
J.K. Rowling
• British writer, born July 31, 1965
• Best known for the Harry Potter series
 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter
and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the
Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hollows
• She also writes crime fiction like
 Cormoran Strike series: The Cuckoos Calling 2013, The
Silkworm (2014), Career of Evil 2015, Lethal White
(2018), and Troubled Blood (2020); The Casual
Vacancyin 2012 the books for adult readers; and The
Ickabogin 2020)for children as the latest.
 Pen Name Robert Galbraith
Joanne Rowling
J.K. Rowling
• Named the world’s first billionaire author by
Forbes, later losing billionaire status due to
charitable donations.
Awards & Honors:
• Time Magazine 2007 Person of the Year runner-up.
• Appointed Member of the Order of the Companions
of Honour in 2017 for literature and philanthropy.
• Named "Most Influential Woman in Britain" in 2020.
Stephen Edwin King
• Born September 21, 1947, in Portland,
Maine
• Known as the "King of Horror“
• Genres: Horror, supernatural fiction,
suspense, science-fiction, and fantasy
Career & Writing Journey
• Known as the "King of Horror" due to
his influence on pop culture.
• Earned an English degree (1970) but
initially struggled to find a teaching job.
• Worked in a laundry while writing short
stories.
• Became an English teacher at Hampden
Academy (1971).
• Married fellow writer Tabitha Spruce
(1971).
Pen Names & Works
• Richard Bachman:
• Rage (1977)
• The Long Walk (1979)
• Roadwork (1981)
• The Running Man (1982)
• Thinner (1984)
• John Swithen:
The Fifth Quarter (short story)
Beryl Evans:
• Charlie the Choo-Choo: From the
World of The Dark Tower (2016,
children's book)
Notable Works in the Digital Era
• The Plant (2000) – Online serialized horror novel.
• Riding the Bullet (2000) – Digital novella.
• The Pop King (2003) – Column in Entertainment Weekly.
• Cell (2006)
• Duma Key (2008).
• Just After Sunset (2008) – Short story collection.
• Ur (2009).
• Throttle (2009) – Novella co-written with his son Joe Hill.
• Full Dark, No Stars (2010) – Collection of four novellas.
• 11/22/63 (2011) – Novel about JFK's assassination, nominated for the 2012 World
Fantasy Award.
•Mr. Mercedes (2013) – Inspired by a real-life event.
•Finders Keepers (2015) – Second book in the Mr. Mercedes series.
•End of Watch (2016) – Final book in the Mr. Mercedes trilogy.
•The Outsider (2018).
•The Institute (2019).
Writing Philosophy
• Believes in reading and writing 4 to 6
hours a day for improvement.
• On why he writes:
"There was nothing else I was made to
do. I was made to write stories, and I
love to write stories."
Neil Richard Mackinnon Gaiman
• born November 10, 1960, in
Portchester, Hampshire, England).
• Originally named Neil Richard Gaiman;
Mackinnon was added from his wife
Amanda Palmer’s middle name
(married 2011–2020).
• Grandfather changed their family
name from Chaiman to Gaiman.
• Learned to read at age four and
became an avid reader.
Writing Career & Achievements
• Started as a journalist in England.
• British writer known for fantasy stories
with dark humor.
• Recognized as one of the creators of
modern comics.
• Works cross multiple genres and are
popular among all age groups.
• Listed in the Dictionary of Literary
Biography as one of the top ten living postmodern writers.
• Prolific in prose, poetry, film, journalism,
comics, song lyrics, and drama.
Notable Works
• First book: Duran Duran (biography).
• Second book: Don’t Panic: The Official
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Companion
(biography of Douglas Adams).
Graphic novels:
• Violent Cases (1987) – Collaborated with
artist Dave McKean.
• Black Orchid (1988).
• The Sandman (1989) – Groundbreaking comic
series, DC Comics’ top-selling title.
• First comic to win a literary award (1991 World
Fantasy Award for Best Short Story).
Novels:
• Good Omens (1990) – Co-written with Terry
Pratchett.
• Neverwhere (1996).
• Stardust (1999) – Adapted into a film (2007).
• American Gods (2001).
• The Ocean at the End of the Lane (2013) –
Adult novel.
Children’s books:
• Coraline (2002) – Adapted into a film (2009).
• InterWorld (2007) – Co-written with Michael
Reaves.
• Sequels: The Silver Dream (2013) and Eternity’s
Wheel (2015) – Written by Reaves and his
daughter Mallory.
• The Graveyard Book (2008) – Won the
Newbery Medal for distinguished
contribution to children’s literature.
Other Contributions & Social Media
• Active on Twitter (@neilhimself)
with over 2.7 million followers.
George Raymond Richard
Martin
• (born September 20, 1948), originally
named George Raymond Martin.
• Also known as GRRM and George R.R.
Martin.
• American novelist, short story writer,
screenwriter, and television producer.
• Best known for the epic fantasy series A
Song of Ice and Fire, which was adapted
into the HBO series Game of Thrones
(2011).
Education & Early Career
• Graduated summa cum laude with a B.S.
in Journalism (1970) from Northwestern
University’s Medill School of Journalism
(Evanston, Illinois).
• Earned an M.S. in Journalism (1971) from
Medill.
• Began selling science fiction short stories
in 1970 at age 21.
• First sale: The Hero (published in Galaxy
Magazine, February 1971).
• First Hugo & Nebula Award-nominated
story: With Morning Comes Mistfall.
Notable Works Before A Song of Ice and
Fire
• First novel: Dying of the Light (completed
1976, published 1977).
• Award-winning works:
• Sandkings (1979) – Won Hugo, Nebula, and
Locus Awards for Best Novelette.
• Nightflyers (1980) – Novella.
• Fevre Dream (1982) – A vampire novel.
• The Armageddon Rag (1983) – Horror
novel that was a commercial failure,
leading to what Martin called his “lost
years”.
A Song of Ice and Fire Series
• Inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Wars of the Roses,
The Accursed Kings, and Ivanhoe.
• Originally planned as a trilogy, later expanded to
seven books:
1. A Game of Thrones (1996).
2. A Clash of Kings (1998).
3. A Storm of Swords (2000).
4. A Feast for Crows (2005) – Became a New
York Times No. 1 Bestseller.
5. A Dance with Dragons (2011) –
International bestseller, No. 1 on the New
York Times Bestseller List.
6. The Winds of Winter (upcoming).
7. A Dream of Spring (final book, upcoming).