The Handy Literature Answer Book: An Engaging Guide to Unraveling Symbols, Signs and Meanings in Great Works

Get the most out of reading with this an engaging and fun guide to the deeper meanings in great works of literature!

From the epic of Gilgamesh to Aristotle and Cicero, and from Shakespeare and the King James Bible to Wuthering Heights, War and Peace, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Nobel-winning lyrics of Bob Dylan, the world of literature is an integral part of our lives, but getting the most out of a great work can sometimes be daunting.

Making reading more enriching, rewarding, and enjoyable, The Handy Literature Answer Book: Understand and Enjoy Meanings, Symbolism, and Signs in Great Works deciphers and analyzes stories, novels, and verses by providing insightful, in-depth answers to nearly 400 common questions. You will learn fascinating tidbits such as …

What are the key components of literature?

How is reading literature different from other kinds of reading?

Why is artful reading so hard?

What do poems do?

What, according to Poe, should be the method of the short story writer?

How do you recognize the difference between story and plot in a short story?

How can you recognize a symbol?

How did the novel evolve from a popular literary entertainment to the modern novel?

What is the difference between drama and theater?

What is the best way to understand and appreciate Shakespearean drama?

What are characteristics of a memoir?

An engaging, easy-to-read look at literature, this handy primer from two highly regarded experts covers basics such as themes, symbols, context, and other literary devices. Different literary forms are analyzed. Hundreds of important stories and great works are used as illustrative examples. Boosting your reading experience, The Handy Literature Answer Book is a wonderful, eye-opening read!

Deborah G. Felder is a graduate of Bard College, where she studied Drama and Literature. She worked as an editor at Scholastic, Inc., and has been a freelance writer and editor for over 30 years. The author of 20 publications, including fiction and nonfiction books, and articles for middle grade, young adult, and adult readers, including 100 American Women Who Shaped American History and A Bookshelf of Our Own: Works That Changed Women’s Lives. She has also written book reviews for The New York Times Book Review, Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly.

Daniel S. Burt, Ph.D. received his doctorate degree in English and American Literature from New York University. He has more than 30 years of experience teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in writing and literature at NYU, Wesleyan University, Trinity College, Northeastern, Wentworth Institute, and Cape Cod Community College. He served for almost a decade as a dean at Wesleyan University. Burt is the author of Understanding Literature, Next Thinking; Literary 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Novelists, Playwrights, and Poets of All Time; The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time; and The Chronology of American Literature.