Dictionary of the Literature of the Iberian Peninsula: [Hardcover]

German Bleiberg (Editor), Maureen Ihrie (Editor), Janet Perez (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 1993 | ISBN-10: 031321302X | ISBN-13: 978-0313213021

Contributions of Iberian-born writers have gone largely unrecognized by most European and American readers. The rich history of literary achievements in the Iberian Penninsula is now available in this unprecedented dictionary. Defining literature in the broad sense, the Dictionary includes historical, religious, cultural and philosophical writings as well as prose, poetry, and drama from the Iberian Peninsula. Virtually all entries have been composed by noted scholars and are complemented wherever possible by bibliographies of primary texts and selected critical studies as well as existing English translations of primary texts. This two-volume work generally includes literature from the tenth century to the mid-1980s and--with a few exceptions--is limited to writers born in the Iberian Peninsula. A guide to determining the format of the Dictionary was the classic Diccionario de Literatura Espanola by German Bleiberg and Julian Marias. This updated and reworked version devotes more attention to writings by neglected or forgotten works by female authors and to writers in major languages other than Spanish in the peninsula, including Portuguese, Catalan, and Galician. There are also entries on major time periods, movements, and other topics. Titles of works discussed are translated to English. Wherever possible, the text of each entry is followed by a three part bibliography and cross-referencing. The Dictionary will appeal to English-speaking non-specialists as well as scholars of Iberian literature.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This dictionary's purpose is to acquaint a wider audience with the rich literary tradition of the Iberian Peninsula. Given the paucity of reference books on the subject, many libraries will welcome the arrival of this attractive and comprehensive reference work, which covers all aspects of the literature of Spain and Portugal.

The dictionary is essentially a translation and update of a valuable but outdated work, Diccionario de la Literatura Espa{¤}nola. The editors stress that their effort contains many new entries and that all major entries from the first book have been revised. A major change in coverage is the inclusion of entries for writers of the last half of the twentieth century, especially those who have been recognized as important only in the last two decades.

The dictionary covers literature from the tenth century to the mid-1980s and from all major literary traditions: Spanish, Catalan, Galician, and Portuguese. The editors stress that they have devoted "more attention to writings by traditionally neglected or forgotten female authors, especially those of the twentieth century."

The book begins with an alphabetical list of the more than 140 contributors with their affiliations. Entries are arranged alphabetically by author's surname, followed by any pseudonym, place and date of birth, and a short phrase identifying the person. Some entries are for the title of a work or a name of an institution and are followed by a translation to English, pertinent dates as appropriate, and a brief explanation. There are also such topical entries as Censorship in Spanish Literature; Don Juan, The Myth of; Generation of 1898; and Hispano-Judaic Literature. An essay, one paragraph to several pages in length, describes the career or history and accomplishments of the subject. When book titles are mentioned within essays, different typefaces are used to show if the English title is an English-language edition or just a literal translation of the Spanish title. Completing each entry is a bibliography that provides information on primary texts and sources of criticism. Works by the author are listed in their original Spanish or Portuguese editions, followed by any English translations. Many of the critical works are also in Spanish. Unfortunately, there are no cross-references in the very detailed index or the text from variant forms of names. Since compound names are common in Spanish, readers will have to know to look, for instance, under Garc{¡}ia Lorca rather than Lorca. The index does gather together all writers by language; all Portuguese or Catalan authors, for instance.

Given its uniqueness, the Dictionary of the Literature of the Iberian Peninsula will appeal to users ranging from English-speaking nonspecialists to scholars of Iberian literature. Recommended for purchase by academic and large public libraries.

Review

“In light of its solid research orientation, the dictionary will no doubt best be utilized in libraries supporting strong Iberian or comparative literature programs.”–Choice

“Given the paucity of reference books on the subject many libraries will welcome the arrival of this attractive comprehensive reference work, which covers all aspects of the literature of Spain and Portugal. Given its uniqueness, the Dictionary of the Literature of the Iberian Peninsula will appeal to users ranging from English-speaking nonspecialists to scholars of Iberian literature. Recommended for purchase by academic and large public libraries”–Reference Books Bulletin

“A unique and broad-based dictionary on the subject. Recommended for academic and main public libraries.”–Reference Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1840 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (June 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031321302X
• ISBN-13: 978-0313213021
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 3.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,226,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)