Good Fiction Guide [Paperback]

Jane Rogers (Editor), Lee Hermione (Editor), Mike Harris (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0192806475 | ISBN-13: 978-0192806475 | Publication Date: January 19, 2006

Wondering what to read next? Let the experts help you out. When it comes to reading, we are spoilt for choice, and that choice can be a little daunting. That's why this great guide to the world of fiction is every reader's best friend. Packed with accessible introductions to over 1,100 must-read authors and over 4,100 superb titles, the "Good Fiction Guide" is a book you'll go back to again and again, in the search for your next enthralling read. Every entry includes read-on suggestions for similar authors, helping you to discover great fiction by authors you might not have heard about before. "The Good Fiction Guide" also contains overviews by 34 best-selling authors introducing their favorite genre, and recommending their twelve favorite books. These include Nigel Williams writing about "Humour", Val McDermid introducing "Thrillers", and Michael Dibdin on "Crime". Whatever your preference, from classics to crime, history to humour, short stories to science fiction, the "Good Fiction Guide" has it all covered. This is an indispensible guide for reading groups, serious bookworms, and anyone who would like to read more.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Another intriguing addition to Oxford's collection of literary guides, this resource for the general reader offers information contributed by 60 writers, critics, and translators in two formats: 34 four-page subject essays and more than 1000 alphabetically arranged, paragraph-length author entries covering 5000 books. Certainly, it is similar to other Oxford handbooks, such as Margaret Drabble's The Oxford Companion to English Literature (LJ 10/15/00) and Peter Parker's A Reader's Guide to Twentieth-Century Writers (LJ 7/96). This reference, however, is unique in that it encompasses popular and genre fiction for both adults and teens, as well as classics, contemporary literature, and international works translated into English. Because selection is based on reader enjoyment, authors are included only if their books are well known, strong sellers, in print, and recommended by the contributors. The essays explore a wide range of topics, from the science fiction of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Richard Hoban's Riddley Walker, and Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale to a literary/geographical analysis of French writing and the progression of the adventure story from Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. Authors were chosen for their specialized knowledge and thus conclude with their Top 12 recommendations. The informal style and inclusion of personal details about the authors' lives create a livelier, more engaging source than standard companions. Highly recommended for literature collections. Marilyn Rosenthal, Nassau Community Coll. Lib., Garden City, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Some 34 essays discussing fiction genres and various national literatures (but not that of the U.S.) are followed by A-Z entries on more than 1,000 writers. The aim is "to encourage us to experiment in our reading habits." This book's value as a readers' advisory tool is enhanced by the lists of top titles in each category that is covered by the essays and the read-alikes indicated for each author.

RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 548 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (January 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192806475
• ISBN-13: 978-0192806475
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,099,711 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Like I *need* another thirty years worth of good reading...., December 8, 2003

By 

Michael K. Smith (South Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Good Fiction Guide (Paperback)

As both a very heavy reader of broad tastes and interests, and a librarian (i.e., a professional recommender of books), I'm always on the look-out for new lists of other people's reading recommendations. This one runs to nearly 500 pages, most of it in the form of brief, individually authored articles (from less than half a column in length to two-thirds of a page) on writers who mostly have been originally published in English, ranging from Defoe and Dickens to Patricia Cornwell and Neal Stephenson. There are also nearly three dozen topical essays -- Canada, Fantasy, Film Adaptations, The Sea, Teen, etc -- which I frankly found too idiosyncratic to be of much use. It took me several weeks to work my way slowly through this thing, notepad at hand to jot down authors and titles that were new to me, or which the reviewer convinced me I ought to reconsider. I filled more than a dozen pages, which means I can happily push this volume on other dedicated readers. Not that I don't have some caveats. No such book can be all-inclusive, of course, so I won't complain about the (in my opinion) excellent authors who were omitted. Though I'm annoyed that a relatively minor science fiction author from the '50s like John Wyndham is discussed, but not the innovative John Varley. On the other hand, can you even begin to talk about Robert Coover without mentioning his most widely-read novel, _The Universal Baseball Association, Inc.?_ Or Stephen King with no mention of _The Stand,_ which is as close as he has yet come to a magnum opus? There seems also to be a heavy emphasis on British writers, with many minor names being included out of proportion to less-known U.S. authors; this bias is not noted in the Introduction, but becomes obvious as you browse. Well, an editor's lot is never an easy one. But they really should have included a title index.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Guide to Accessible Fiction, November 26, 2006

By 

A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Good Fiction Guide (Paperback)

The first third of this chatty guide to modern and classic adult fiction is a series of essays recommending key authors and titles in 34 various genres/topics/national literatures. Each is written by a writer or editor (mostly British) with "a special interest" in the the subject, although very few are household names (the two most well known are probably crime writers Michael Didbin and Val McDermid). The essays are about four or five pages, and include a "Top 12" list of the essayist's favorites in that area. While these are somewhat fun to dip into, like all such essays they are awfully idiosyncratic, and thus need to be taken with many grains of salt.

Nonetheless, the editors should be commended for highlighting a good deal of world literature, with essays devoted to: Africa, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, The Caribbean, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Russia, and the U.S. However, other than this particular coverage, readers should be aware that the authors and titles selected for mention have a very strong British emphasis. Authors were only included if they are well-known (in Britain), in print, or seminal to a particular topic or genre. However, while most selections may be available in the UK, some may be much harder to track down elsewhere.

The remaining two-thirds of the book are small biographies of 1,000+ authors, with indications as to their key works, and three "similar" writers. For example, if you like Nick Hornby, try Roddy Doyle, Kingsly Amis, or J.D. Salinger. On the whole, an attractive, accessible book to dip into to get some ideas of new stuff to read, but hardly the last word on the topic.