Assuming no prior knowledge, books in the Routledge English Language Introductions series offer an accessible overview of the subject, with activities, study questions, sample analyses, commentaries and key readings - all in the same volume. The innovative and flexible 'two-dimensional' structure is built around four sections - introductions, development, exploration and extension - which offer self-contained stages for study. Each topic can also be read across these sections, enabling the reader to build gradually on the knowledge gained. Stylistics:

* is a comprehensive introduction to literary stylistics
* covers the core areas, including register, dialect, vocabulary, grammar, sound and rhythm, speech and thought, narrative, dialogue, metaphor and meaning
* draws on a range of literary texts, from Ernest Hemingway and D.H. Lawrence to Sylvia Plath, Roger McGough and Irvine Welsh
* provides classic readings by the key names in the discipline, including Derek Attridge, Ronald Carter and Walter Nash, Roger Fowler and Mick Short.

The accompanying webiste to this book can be found at http://www.routledge.com/textbooks/0415281059