Books by Mississippi Writers 1996-2010
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Creation Date
11-1-1999
Description
Edited by Robert W. Hamblin and Charles A. Peek Greenwood Press (Hardcover, $99.95, ISBN: 0313298513, 11/1999) The year 1997 was the centennial of the birth of William Faulkner, and the editors, both professors of English, chose this opportunity to begin work on an updated analysis of one of the masters of twentieth-century literature. This encyclopedia is not so much about Faulkner's personal but his literary life, with entries covering primary influences and major themes, works, major characters, family members, and critics. All entries are signed and have further reading lists included. The length of the entries varies from a long paragraph to three pages. Arrangement is alphabetical. Examples of entries on primary influences include Impressionism; Joyce, James; Paris; and Shakespeare. Examples of major themes include Religion, Slavery, and Sport. Entries that analyze Faulkner's writing include Point of view and Stream of consciousness, along with those for individual novels, short stories, screenplays, and other works. More than 50 contributors from a wide variety of colleges and universities were selected to participate in this study; and although this variety of well-known and newer Faulkner scholars allows for a multitude of opinions and voices, the editors admit that there is a wide range of writing styles. The volume concludes with a selected bibliography and an index. The editors' stated goal was to "apprise an already literate reader of what constitutes the main body of Faulkner's work and to demonstrate why the critical estimation of that work is so secure and still growing.... Ideally, the volume will encourage in all its users further exploration of the varied issues and circumstances that situate Faulkner's work for readers." Aimed at an audience already familiar with Faulkner or one ready to do research, this title is best suited for academic and larger public libraries, as well as high schools with Advanced Placement American Literature classes.
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