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Notable British Novelists - 3 Volume Set (Magill's Choice)
Published by: dovesnake (Karma: 1384.51) on 6 October 2008 | Views: 2700
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From Library Journal This three-volume work is a clever and serviceable repackaging of the eight-volume Critical Survey of Long Fiction, second revised edition (LJ 10/1/00). Rollyson, who also supervised the Critical Survey, offers 104 up-to-date essays, primarily by U.S. scholars, maintaining the same thorough analysis and consistent tone as the original. Each essay lists the principal works by the author and describes his or her achievements and biography, analyzing the overall body of work and each novel individually. The updated annotated bibliography at the end of each essay provides excellent sources for further research, and over half the essays include a photo or drawing of the author. The writers, a few of whom were born in Ireland but have close associations to Great Britain, were chosen because their works are often studied in high school and college. A wide range of styles and genres, notably gothic, mystery, and sf, are represented. A nine-page glossary of terms and techniques and a time line, which begins in the early 15th century, ends in 1950, and notes each author's date and place of birth, precedes an index consisting mainly of author and title references. The volumes seem well bound, but the type is smaller and the paper thinner than in the original series. A complete list of contents appears at the beginning of each volume, making the set easy to browse. The compact size and focus on one country of origin will appeal to less sophisticated scholars. Highly recommended for small public and college libraries.
