Encyclopedia of Gothic Literature: The Essential Guide to the Lives and Works of Gothic Writers (Literary Movements)

Aimed at teachers, students, and general readers, this reference contains alphabetically arranged listings on a wide range of topics relating to Gothic literature. Entries include writers such as Jane Austen, Stephen King, and Bram Stoker as well as concepts and terms such as Byronic hero, occultism, and graveyard verse. At the back of the volume are found appendices such as a time line, a list of major authors and works, a filmography, and bibliographies of primary and secondary sources. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Grade 9 Up–Gothic literature is generally perceived as containing elements of horror, suspense, the supernatural, the unexplained, romanticism, gender stereotypes, female victims, and male heroes.This encyclopedia examines the literature in alphabetical entries that describe people, places, works, literary and psychological terms, characters, subgenres, and concepts. Entries range from a few paragraphs to two pages; each one includes a brief bibliography. As a separate genre, American Gothic deals with experiences apart from the European, or the colonial Gothic experience, all of which are defined and considered here. The American Gothic tradition continues into the 20th century with the work of Daphne du Maurier, Victoria Holt, and Ray Bradbury, and such recent authors as Margaret Atwood, Ann Rice, and Isabel Allende; entries on all of these writers and more are found in this volume. Appendixes include lists of writers and their works. Many of the British Romantic poets are listed with descriptions of their works. The inclusion of Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White (Harcourt, 2002) testifies to the currency of this encyclopedia. An accessible and helpful resource for anyone interested in Gothic literature.–Pat Bender, The Shipley School, Bryn Mawr, PA
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Gothic literature is a perennial favorite with students and readers, and now Facts On File has published a new encyclopedia in its Literary Movements series that covers this popular genre from its origins in the eighteenth century to its uses in contemporary literature. This A-Z encyclopedia has more than 400 entries on authors, books and stories, and related topics such as Freudian themes, Mad scientists, and melancholy. The entries range from one or two paragraphs to a full page in length. Each entry includes numerous cross-references to related articles and ends with a short bibliography of books and articles. The encyclopedia also has a list of major gothic works by title and then by author, a time line of gothic literature, a list of film noir and gothic films, and bibliographies of primary and secondary sources.

The strengths of the volume are its coverage of little-known authors, contemporary authors, and short stories that are often read in literature courses in high school and college. While information is readily available on authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Ann Radcliffe, lesser-known writers, among them Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Margaret Oliphant, and Charlotte Smith, are given short biographical sketches, and their best works are briefly analyzed for gothic themes. More contemporary authors such as Dan Brown, Victoria Holt, and Stephen King are also covered. There are excellent essays on often-studied short stories, for example, "The Lottery," "Gimpel the Fool," and "Rappaccini's Daughter." Also useful to students are the entries on topics, such as Atmosphere, Disguise motif, Gothic novel, and Monsters.

The major problem with the book is that the author never explains what criteria were used in deciding what writers and works should be included. It often seems that an author or work is here because one or two gothic literary devices are used, and the analysis of what makes them gothic is not always convincing. Despite this drawback, the Encyclopedia of Gothic Literature is a well-written reference book that will be very helpful for literature students and is recommended for high-school, college, and public libraries that support research in literature. Merle Jacob
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