Includes over 3,400 entries on Poe's poetry and characters, biographical information on his life, family, friends, and journeys that affected his work.
More than 3,400 entries chart the life and work of an author whose "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841) is often described as the first detective story. Entries are arranged alphabetically and cover works (including essays and reviews as well as poems and tales) and characters. Entries for works contain publishing and dramatization history, a list of characters, and a synopsis of the plot. There is also coverage of people, places, and publications that played a role in Poe's life or helped shape his literary development. The biographical entries treat family, friends, and associates, as well as writers such as Charles Baudelaire, who translated Poe into French, and Washington Irving, considered to have been an influence despite the fact that Poe did not care for his style. Coverage extends into the twentieth century with entries (
Corman, Roger; Price, Vincent) related to film and musical adaptations.
Terms in boldface type serve as cross-references. Following the entries are four appendixes: a chronology of Poe's life, a chronology of his works, a list of Poe research collections, and a bibliography.
This is the latest addition to Facts On File's Literary A to Z series, which offers a wealth of information in volumes that are handsomely designed and easy to use. Recommended for public and academic libraries and for high-school libraries where Poe is part of the curriculum. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
In her introduction, Sova (Agatha Christie, A to Z, LJ 8/15/96) claims that our view of Poe has depended on only the few poems and short stories anthologized in high school textbooks. To counter that view, this comprehensive reference work, consisting of some 3400 entries and illustrated with 50 black-and-white illustrations, treats all of the author's work some 350 stories, poems, essays, and articles. Together with the entries covering Poe's literary works (including journalistic pieces and reviews) are factual treatments of the people, places, and events associated with him. Entries are generally short, with major works given longer treatment under the subheadings "Publishing and Dramatization History," "Characters," and "Plot Synopsis." The encyclopedia contains chronologies of the author's life and work, a directory of "Poe Research Collections," and a selective bibliography. This volume joins 13 other books in the publisher's "Literary A to Z" series. The Poe Encyclopedia (Greenwood, 1997), edited by Frederick S. Frank and Tony Magistrale, is more scholarly and more comprehensive (it contains 1900 entries, each with its own bibliography, and a massive bibliography ends the book). But its hefty price tag makes it less desirable for smaller libraries. Recommended for American literature reference collections. Paul D'Alessandro, Portland P.L., ME
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
