Masterplots: 1,801 Plot Stories and Critical Evaluations of the World's Finest Literature (12 Volume Set)

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ISBN 10: 0893560847 ISBN 13: 9780893560843

Publisher: Salem Press, 1996

This literary reference source contains entries on numerous titles and contains revised essays, critical evaluation sections, story segments and essay review segments.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Dr. Frank N. Magill has been a writer and editor of distinguished reference works for the past forty years. John K. Roth is Russell K. Pitzer Professor of Philosophy at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. In 1988, he was named Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

From Booklist:

This edition of Masterplots is expanded and updated from the 1976 version. It retains the original purpose of the series, which is "providing fundamental reference data, plot synopses, . . . and critical evaluations of a comprehensive selection of world literature that is available in English." Titles were dropped from the 1976 set because they were no longer addressed in schools or are not critically recognized today. The 425 new titles were added based on high-school and college curricula and were considered by the editors to be previously overlooked classics. Even though the titles included are overwhelmingly American and British, an attempt has been made to include contemporary classics that represent varied cultural identities. Latin Americans account for approximately 50 new entries, and Asian and Asian Americans 25. The most represented author is Shakespeare, with 41 works treated.

More than 1,800 plot summaries and critical essays are included, with entries still arranged alphabetically by title. Most of the entries are three to five pages long and include works of fiction, drama, poetry, essays, short stories, and nonfiction. Depending on the type of work, an entry may note author, genre, time frame and setting of plot, when first published or performed, and principal characters. The plot summary and/or literary criticism are followed by an annotated bibliography, which is a new feature of this edition. All 1,801 entries have either been newly written or revised. New contributors and their affiliations are listed in volume 1.

Several indexes are in volume 12. The chronological index covers the period from antiquity to 1991. The geographical index lists authors by country. Those enumerated under Greece and Rome are the ancients, and Russia and the Soviet Union have separate listings. The U.S. includes separate headings for African, Asian, Jewish, and Native Americans. There are also author and title indexes.

As with past editions, high-school and college students will find Masterplots a valuable tool, as will their teachers. The addition of the bibliographies will help students continue their exploration of an author or work. High-school, public, and academic libraries will want to update their collections with this new edition.

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