Edgar Allan Poe (Who Wrote That?)

Edgar Allan Poe not only wrote such dark and uncanny works as "The Raven," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "The Fall of the House of Usher," but also lived a tragic and similarly gloomy life. Credited as the father of the modern horror story and the first detective novel, Poe still inspires legions of fans to this day.

David

Best known for his books chronicling the adventures of "Captain Underpants," Dav Pilkey has built a reputation as one of his generation's most inventive writers and illustrators. Yet as a young boy, he seemed unlikely to ever become a success. Suffering from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, this one-time "class clown" was sent out from class to sit in the hallway so often that he had his own desk waiting for him, which he kept stocked with paper, pencils, and crayons. 

Andre Norton (Who Wrote That?)

Alice Norton was a college freshman when the Great Depression left her unable to afford her tuition. Forced to quit school, she did not give up her dreams. While working at a library, Norton wrote a novel inspired by a patron, The Prince Commands, which was published in her early 20s. Because the publisher doubted boys would buy an adventure story written by a woman, Alice Norton changed her name to the masculine "Andre Norton." Norton found her passion, writing more than 100 science fiction and fantasy novels, many for young adults. 

Act by act, scene by scene, each Shakespeare Explained guide creates a total immersion experience in the plot development, characters, and language of the specific play.

Of all of Shakespeare's plays, The Tempest is perhaps the most symbolic. This is admirably explained in this entry in the "Shakespeare Explained" series by Susan Krueger.

Like the other entries in this series, the book begins with lengthy introductory material including a brief biography of Shakespeare, a discussion of the theater during Shakespeare's life, a glossary of literary terms,...

George Eliot is perhaps most appreciated for her ability to synthesize moral and aesthetic concerns. This volume presents the evolving scope of Eliot's critical reputation, offering valuable insight into her classic novels including 'Middlemarch', 'Daniel Deronda', 'Adam Bede', 'Silas Marner', and 'The Mill on the Floss'. A chronology of the author's life, an index, and an introduction by esteemed scholar Harold Bloom round out this addition to the Bloom's Classic Critical Views series.