The Tale of Genji (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations)

Written by the daughter of a Japanese noble, this 11th century work of fiction chronicles the life and romantic exploits of the handsome son of the Emperor and his concubine during the Heian period.

The title, Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji, part of Chelsea House Publishers’ Modern Critical Interpretations series, presents the most important 20th-century criticism on Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji through extracts of critical essays by well-known literary critics.

Toni Morrison's Sula (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations)

Morrison's rich tale of two women who grow estranged.

The title, Toni Morrison’s Sula, part of Chelsea House Publishers’ Modern Critical Interpretations series, presents the most important 20th-century criticism on Toni Morrison’s Sula through extracts of critical essays by well-known literary critics. This collection of criticism also features a short biography on Toni Morrison, a chronology of the author’s life, and an introductory essay written by Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale University.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations)

Penned by Omar Khayyam circa 1120, these quatrains of Arabic verse were introduced to England in 1859 by scholar poet Edward FitzGerald. The overwhelming popularity of FitzGerald's lyrical translation owes as much to the translator as the writer.

On the Road (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations)

Written in vivid detail, Kerouac's autobiographical novel describes the epic trek of his alter-ego Sal Paradise from the East coast to San Francisco; it continues today as the benchmark work of Beat fiction.

The title, Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, part of Chelsea House Publishers’ Modern Critical Interpretations series, presents the most important 20th-century criticism on Jack Kerouac’s On the Road through extracts of critical essays by well-known literary critics.

Oedipus Rex (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations)

Written by Sophocles around 425 BCE, "Oedipus Rex, or Oedipus the King" is a classic Greek tragedy in that it depicts the search for self-understanding, and the struggle between man and fate. The story forms the foundation for the symbolic conflict between fathers and sons. Bloom's "Modern Critical Interpretations" offers a range of salient critical viewpoints on this, one of history's most important plays. Thoughtful analyses are supplemented by features that make this resource ideal for those preparing in-depth research papers.