Canadian writers, 1920-1959. First series

The editors of the Dictionary of Literary Biography, in an apparent attempt to continue their project indefinitely, have fleshed out this overpriced volume by including many relatively minor authors. Of the 63 included, fewer than a dozen are likely to be of interest to the majority of undergraduates in the US. A second volume in the series will include other writers from the same period (1920-1959). That volume should pick up a few of the major authors missing from this one--e.g., novelist Sinclair Ross. Curiously, one of the entrants in this volume, George Elliott, clearly belongs in one of the volumes of Canadian Writers Since 1960, since he came to prominence after his first book was published in 1962. As with other volumes of the DLB, this one is organized alphabetically by name of entrant. There are a primary bibliography, a short commentary, and a secondary bibliography for each author. There is also the standard cumulative index to the entire DLB. Libraries that selectively order volumes of the DLB can pass on this one; it is not a good value for libraries in the US serving undergraduate populations. For most purposes, the Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature (CH, Jul '84) offers an excellent alternative; this volume is therefore recommended only for libraries in Canada, research libraries, and other libraries serving strong Canadian literature programs. -M. M. Bohn, University of Nebraska at Omaha