The Oxford dictionary of literary terms /

This expanded and updated third edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (1990, CH, May'91, 28-4843; revised ed., 2001) explores about 1,200 terms of special difficulty to students and general readers. While concentrating largely on terms in English, the author (Goldsmiths College, Univ. of London) also has drawn on a variety of worldwide literary and critical traditions. Although the present volume strives to maintain the conciseness of the earlier editions, an additional 180 terms associated with various critical and theoretical movements, trends in American poetry, types of Spanish verse, crime fiction, and autobiographical/biographical writing supplement and update its contents. Additional sources of recommended readings, including relevant Web sites, enhance over 50 entries. Although entries infrequently explore the etymology of terms, the author helpfully identifies related concepts within entries that have been accorded separate treatment in the volume. The dictionary also includes useful pronunciation guides for more than 200 especially difficult terms. The book's bibliography lists more than a dozen works that explore the meaning, history, and use of terms in more detail. This handy, updated edition undoubtedly will prove invaluable to a new generation of readers. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through graduate students; general readers. K. Rosneck University of Wisconsin--Madison