Ian Fletcher (literary critic)

Ian Fletcher (1920-1988) was a British literary critic and academic, best known for his work on the fin-de-siècle and Modernist periods. He was a significant figure in the development of modern literary studies in the United Kingdom, particularly in his emphasis on the historical and cultural context of literature.

Fletcher was a Professor of English Literature at the University of Reading. His scholarship focused on figures such as Walter Pater, Arthur Symons, and W.B. Yeats. He contributed extensively to the understanding of Decadence, Aestheticism, and the broader cultural landscape of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Key Publications:

• Walter Pater (1959)
• Romantic Mythologies (1967)
• Decadence and the 1890s (1979) (Edited with Malcolm Bradbury)
• Numerous articles and essays on late Victorian and Modernist literature.

Fletcher's critical approach was often characterized by a meticulous attention to detail and a sophisticated understanding of the intellectual and artistic movements of his chosen periods. He is remembered for his contributions to the historical contextualization of literature and for his influence on generations of literary scholars.