Critical Companion to William Shakespeare A Literary Reference to His Life and Work

This revised edition of Shakespeare A to Z: An Essential Guide to His Life and Work (1990), also written by Boyce, has more than 3,000 entries. Like the earlier work, it covers all aspects of Shakespeare and his writings. In place of a single alphabetical arrangement, however, readers will find content organized into several sections. The new arrangement puts Shakespeare's works at center stage and casts the related topics in a supporting role. 

Part 1, the briefest section at just 7 pages, has biographical material. Part 2, the longest section, covers all known works. The plays are given extended treatment that averages just over 20 pages. A scene-by-scene synopsis is followed by commentary and discussion of the play's sources, text, and performance history. Subentries identify and discuss all the characters, both major (Romeo) and minor (Serving-man). This is a useful revision; character entries are scattered throughout Shakespeare A to Z, depending on their place in the alphabet. Edward III is covered, since recent scholarship based on statistical analysis of Shakespeare's imagery and language suggests that Shakespeare collaborated on its writing. The commentary that Boyce provides on Edward III and on other plays provides interesting context as well as critical analysis and will add to the students' understanding of the works. 

In Part 3, generally brief entries cover places both in Shakespeare's works and life; events; sources and influences; historical figures; family, friends, and associates; theaters and acting companies; allusions; literary terms; actors ranging from Shakespeare's contemporaries to Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench; and more. Appendixes include a selection of quotations from Shakespeare, arranged by work; a spotty time line; a four-page list of selected reading; and a list of "Contents by Category." Because of the set's arrangement, readers must refer from "Contents by Category" to the index to find the exact location of an entry. Most of the few black-and-white illustrations are stills from films. 

Students will appreciate having all the content specific to each work assembled in one place in these volumes. This Critical Companion is a good choice for public, high-school, and undergraduate libraries.

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Critical Companion to William Faulkner A Literary Reference to His Life And Work

This comprehensive companion to Faulkner contains a variety of information for the student as well as being a handy reference to Faulkner's life and works for those curious about him. Fargnoli (theology and English, Molloy College, NY) Golay (history, Phillips Exeter Academy) and Hamblin (English, Center for Faulkner Studies, Southeast Missouri State University) begin with a short biography of Faulkner and his family.

They note how his childhood and family history influenced his stories, as well as his emotional make up and alcoholic tendencies. The is followed by an annotated list of all Faulkner's short stories and novels with a synopsis, character list and excerpts from reviews. There is also a dictionary of subjects associated with Faulkner, from Civil War battles and generals to his publishers, fellow writers, his themes and friends such as Humphrey Bogart. Lastly the editors give a list of biographical works and literary studies for the serious scholar to consult.


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Critical Companion To Walt Whitman A Literary Reference To His Life And Work

"Critical Companion to Walt Whitman" contains entries on every one of Walt Whitman's poems, from the widely recognized "Song of Myself," "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd," and "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking," to his minor works.

His major prose works, such as "A Backward Glance O'er Travel'd Roads" and "Democratic Vistas", each edition of "Leaves of Grass", and unique terms used or coined by Whitman, such as "Eidolons" and "Paumanok," are also covered. Helping readers understand the influences on his life are entries on Whitman's family, friends, relatives, and acquaintances; important places where he lived and worked; and ideas important to his work. An essential reference guide, this single-volume addition to the "Critical Companion" series delivers a wealth of information on the life and works of this great American author.


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Critical Companion to Toni Morrison A Literary Reference to Her Life And Work

Toni Morrison, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993, is perhaps the most important living American author today, and certainly one of the most popular in college and high school courses. Her novels, including "Sula", "Song of Solomon", "Beloved", and "Paradise", have won almost every major award available to them. In addition, her influence as a critic, book editor, and mentor to other writers has been incalculable.

"Critical Companion to Toni Morrison" examines Morrison's life and writing, featuring critical analyses of her work and themes, as well as entries on related topics and relevant people, places, and influences.


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Critical Companion to Tennessee Williams

One of the greatest American dramatists of the 20th century, Tennessee Williams is known for his sensitive characterizations, poetic yet realistic writing, ironic humor, and depiction of harsh realities in human relationships.

Williams drew on his own troubled early life to depict the loneliness, fear, and sexual anxiety of such memorable characters as Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski. His work is frequently included in high school and college curricula, and his plays are still produced today.

Critical Companion to Tennessee Williams includes entries on all of Tennessee Williams's major and most minor works, including A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Glass Menageric, a novel, a collection of short stories, two poetry collections, and personal essays; places and events related to his works; major figures in his life; his literary influences; and issues in Williams scholarship and criticism. Appendixes include a complete list of Williams's works; a list of research libraries with significant Williams holdings; and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources.


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Critical Companion to T S Eliot A Literary Reference to His Life and Work

Best known for his works "The Waste Land", "Four Quartets", and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," T.S. Eliot is one of the most popular 20th-century poets studied in high school and college English classes today. Eliot's masterful use of classical allusions throughout his works demonstrates the great importance he placed on tradition and its place within literary history.

Believing that the fragments of a once-great culture surrounded the modern world through literature, he used his writing to recreate the past through tradition. "Critical Companion to T.S. Eliot" explores the life and works of this amazing Nobel Prize-winning writer, with extensive analyses of Eliot's writing, as well as entries on related topics and relevant people, places, and influences. This accessible volume also provides crucial historical and thematic information, along with illustrations, a bibliography, and cross-references.

Coverage includes: a concise but comprehensive biography of Eliot; entries on Eliot's major works, including all of his poems, plays, and major critical essays; related people, places, and topics, including friends and literary influences, places where Eliot lived and taught, and publications he wrote for; and, appendixes, including a chronology, a bibliography of Eliot's works, and a secondary source bibliography.

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Critical Companion to Robert Frost A Literary Reference to His Life And Work

Known for his favorite themes of New England and nature, Robert Frost may well be the most famous American poet of the 20th century. His classic works include the poems "The Road Not Taken," "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," "The Death of the Hired Man," and many more.

"Critical Companion to Robert Frost" is an encyclopedic guide to the life and works of this great American poet. This accessible volume combines extensive critical analysis with in-depth information on Frost's life, providing a one-stop resource for students. Coverage includes: a concise but thorough biography of Frost; entries on every one of Frost's published poems, plays, and important works of prose; criticism and interpretations of Frost's work; entries on related people, places, themes, and topics; and appendixes, including bibliographies of primary and secondary sources and a chronology.


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