This book celebrates “the arrival of a national literature on the international stage.” As the editor, Arnold E. Davidson, writes, “Books by Canadian authors are being read outside Canada in greater numbers than ever before. . . . Canadian studies (in its various aspects) is now taught in many countries, and many of those countries have their own academic associations to further Canadian studies.”

Intended primarily for nonspecialists, the twenty essays in the volume suggest the breadth of Canadian literature and illustrate the range and variety of contemporary Canadian criticism. The first section contains eight essays on Canadian writing in English; the second, eight essays on Canadian writing in French. Each section begins with an overview essay on the historical development of the literature. In the third section, four comparative essays “cross and conjoin the linguistic divide.” The volume concludes with annotated bibliographic guides to Québec literature and English-Canadian literature, a list of contributors, and an index.