Dictionary of Literary Themes and Motifs [2 volumes]: 2 Vol Set - Hardcover

Aldridge, A O.; Arnold, Armin; Lee, Peter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0313229430 ISBN 13: 9780313229435

Publisher: Greenwood, 1988

Synopsis

This index is a veritable who's who of the greats of Western literature. . . . The Board recommends it for every collection whose users conduct analytical studies of literature. Reference Books Bulletin

The powerful hold that literature exercises is based primarily on recognition--the reader's ability to identify with others through shared human concerns that transcend ttace, time, and cultural boundaries. These universal themes, and how they have been treated in literature from the classical period to the present, are the subject of the critical essays comprising this volume. A fascinating resource for students and general readers and an essential research tool for scholars in literature, it is the first thematic reference on this scale to be published in English.

The dictionary consists of 143 essays contributed by 98 specialists in world literature. Topics covered include themes relating to adventure, family life, the supernatural, eroticism, status, humor, idealism, terror, and many other categories of human experience. Each entry begins with a defintion and a sketch on the origin and historical background of the literary theme. The topical essay discusses the significance and occurrence of the theme in world literature and supplies information on geographical area, genre, style, and chronology. Entries conclude with a selected bibliography of scholarship in the area. A cross-index to themes and motifs will enable the reader to find information on secondary or related topics. Convenient to use and presented in a standardized format, this major new reference will be an important acquisition for libraries with collections in English, American, and world literature.

About this title

About the Author

JEAN-CHARLES SEIGNEURET is Professor of Romance Languages and Literature at the University of Cincinnati. He has published a number of articles on French literature, culture, and philolgy, as well as professional concerns.

A. OWEN ALDRIDGE is Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Illinois.

ARMIN ARNOLD is Auxiliary Professor of German at McGill University, Montreal, and Dozent of Hohere Wirtschafts-und Verwaltungsschule in Osten, Switzerland.

PETER H. LEE is Professor of Korean and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Reviews

This is a major encyclopedia for comparative literature and, secondarily, the history of ideas. Coming from 98 contributors, the 143 articles vary widely in scope and method. But a typical entry, running about ten pages and including a bibliography of three or four sources, traces literary themes through different times and places; more specialized articles describe genres or literary movements. Articles on themes like "Rebellion" or "Responsibility" may spread too wide a net, while others overlap (e.g., "Crippling" and "Lameness," "Horror" and "Terror"). Further, Eastern literatures get only sporadic attention. Nevertheless, this ambitious new source, unique in English, is important for any four-year college library. Donald Ray, Manhattanville Coll. Lib., Purchase, N.Y.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Greenwood
• Publication date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0313229430
• ISBN 13: 9780313229435
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 1530