Literature: History & Criticism

One of the most important novelists of the early 19th century, Jane Austen (1775-1817) continues to be read and studied today. Throughout her novel...

Like so many other ethnic groups, Chicanos and Chicanas have suffered from political, social, and economic oppression in the United States. In addi...

One of the greatest novelists of the 20th century, John Steinbeck continues to be read and studied at all levels. This encyclopedia extensively ove...

Although the exploration of space has long preoccupied authors and filmmakers, the development of an actual space program, discoveries about the tr...

Women have been writing in the Catholic tradition since early medieval times, yet no single volume has brought together critical evaluations of the...

Generations of readers and movie viewers have been drawn to the spirited heroines of ^USense and Sensibility and ^UEmma. Prepared especially for s...

Comprehensive overview of literary works that illuminate the experiences of aging. Bibliographical essays analyze the ideas or themes relating to o...

Henry V is a complex and challenging Shakespearean play that rewards detailed study. While few critics count it among Shakespeare's greatest works,...

American documentary theatre records the social issues that continue to shape the United States at the close of the twentieth century. This book pr...

Now that the political correctness controversy has cooled, a time for sober reflection on the field of English has arrived. In this insightful over...

Always controversial, Tom Wolfe's writings inarguably have had enduring cultural impact through the decades, starting with his short stories in the...

Many Victorian and Edwardian fantasy stories began as extemporaneous oral tales told for the delight of children and, like Alice in Wonderland and ...

From Shakespeare's plays and contemporary verse to modern novels, this annotated bibliography covers fiction written about the Wars of the Roses si...

The contact of two different cultures in the colonization process produces a zone of cultural mingling; people who are betwixt and between. Armstro...

Books and reading have contributed to the success of generations of Americans, many of whom have had distinguished careers and have left their mark...

Afro-Cubanism is a movement in Caribbean arts and letters that stemmed from a rediscovery of the region's African heritage during the 1920s and to ...

In this study of 19th- and 20th-century French and Italian women's autobiography, the author illustrates how the protagonists' development unfolds ...

As the 20th century has progressed, dystopian fiction has gained power as utopian fiction has become increasingly irrelevant. As an overtly didacti...

While the Irish Literary Revival began around 1885 and ended somewhere between 1925 and 1940, the Irish Renaissance has continued to the present da...

The Restoration was a period surprisingly rich in fiction, and the period between 1660 and 1700 witnessed the decline of the epic and the birth of ...

With the publication of her first book, The Little House in the Big Woods (1932), Laura Ingalls Wilder became an almost overnight success as a writ...

During the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain there was a wide range of literary humor. Much of this humor was satiric, ranging from the sharp barb...

Howard Fast, one of the most prolific American writers of the 20th century, has enjoyed wide popularity for his writing and suffered from great not...

Losing a loved one is a scary and confusing event for teenagers, but one that can be made easier through the use of literature and informed mentori...

One of the most prolific and popular contemporary novelists, Dean Koontz has captivated both young and mature readers alike. This critical companio...

There has been a dramatic resurgence of interest in early African American writing. Since the accidental rediscovery and republication of Harriet W...

Although Smollett's obvious masculine sensibility has become a commonplace in criticism of the 18th-century novel, the basis and particularities of...

This exciting collection of essays explores the fantastic in world literature, art, theater, film, and popular culture. Highlights include artwork ...

While England has been strengthened by a proud isolationism, she has simultaneously been enriched by the economic, social, and political complexiti...

During the last two decades, African American writers have emerged as a distinct and dominant force in world literature. This force has been gather...

Sexual misconduct of society's leaders, the plight of single mothers, the separation of church and state — all are burning issues of the 1990s whic...

One of the most influential American women writers of the 19th century, Margaret Fuller (1810-1850) played a vital role in the shaping of New Engla...

Harold Pinter is universally described as Britain's leading dramatist. This book evaluates the justification for this appellation. It examines his ...

Many of our favorite films began as plays—some as well known as Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and some not so well known as You've Got Mail's ori...

This volume contains five articles by prominent scholars of French literature and political philosophy that examine the relation between Montaigne'...

Ireland has a rich mythological tradition that stretches back for centuries, and much of this folklore tells tales of the fantastic. During the Iri...

Including both narratives and visual texts by and about Latina women, Amador Gómez-Quintero and Pérez Bustillo address the question of how women re...