See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

55 used & new from $0.29

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

I own the rights to this title and would like to make it available again through Amazon.

Tell the Publisher! I�d like to read this book on Kindle Don�t have a Kindle? Get yours here.

A Handbook to Literature (8th Edition) (Paperback)

by William Harmon (Author), C. Hugh Holman (Author), William Flint Thrall (Author)

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.

7 new from $15.95 48 used from $0.29

Also Available in:	List Price:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Hardcover (6)			46 used & new from $2.90
Paperback (11th)	$60.00	$45.56	62 used & new from $38.81
Library Binding			Order it used!
Unknown Binding (3rd)			8 used & new from $1.64

There is a newer edition of this item:

A Handbook to Literature (Handbook to Literature) 4.7 out of 5 stars (18)
$45.72

In Stock.

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	92% buy the item featured on this page: A Handbook to Literature (8th Edition) 4.7 out of 5 stars (18)
	4% buy MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 4.5 out of 5 stars (87) $6.03
	2% buy The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory (Penguin Dictionary) 4.7 out of 5 stars (23) $13.60
	1% buy Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) 4.2 out of 5 stars (27) $8.60

Explore similar items

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

You are there teleplays: The critical edition (Film as literature series)

by Abraham Polonsky

A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature

by Wilfred L. Guerin

4.2 out of 5 stars (9) $40.46

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers

by Joseph Gibaldi

4.5 out of 5 stars (87) $6.03

The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces: (Expanded Edition) (One-Volume)

by Jerome W. Clinton

4.2 out of 5 stars (12) $53.11

A Glossary of Literary Terms

by M.H. Abrams

4.8 out of 5 stars (15) $35.44

› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
For undergraduate/graduate-level literature courses. This comprehensive text is the definitive reference text on literature and literary criticism in English. The text itself is an alphabetical listing of the terms that pertain to literature in English. Now in its eighth edition, it has been used by more than one million students.

From the Publisher
This comprehensive text is the definitive reference text on literature and literary criticism in English. The text itself is an alphabetical listing of the terms that pertain to literature in English. Now in its seventh edition, it has been used by more than one million students. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Paperback: 671 pages
Publisher: Prentice Hall; 8 edition (July 15, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0130127310
ISBN-13: 978-0130127310
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #706,408 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Citations (learn more)

100 books cite this book:

William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice: A Sourcebook (Routledge Literary Sourcebooks) by S.p. Cerasano on 6 pages
Many Things in Parables: Jesus and His Modern Critics by Hedrick on 4 pages
Virginia Woolf and the Essay by Beth Carole Rosenberg on page 219, page 230, and page 232
Principles of Literature, The: A Guide for Readers and Writers by Christina Meyer-Schaffer on page 51, page 219, and page 249
Modern Skeletons in Postmodern Closets: A Cultural Studies Alternative (Knowledge : Disciplinarity and Beyond) by James J. Sosnoski on page 60, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)

See all 100 books citing this book

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

(What's this?)

Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).

literature(10)

reference(10)

literary criticism(4)

anthology(5)

criticism(1)

semiotics(1)

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

18 Reviews

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A page-turner encyclopedia? You better believe it!, August 21, 2002

By	R. Tiedemann "Sunnye" (Bellevue, NE USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you have a question about English or American literature, chances are you'll find the answer here. William Harmon, professor of English at the University of North Carolina has revised and updated this handbook, long popular in academia. He's added more than 100 entries which reflect current trends in literature and criticism.

If you don't have a student at home, get this book anyway. Read it. Just the outline of English and American literary history in the back of the book is worth the price. You undoubtedly will find books here you never knew existed. I thought I'd read all of Eudora Welty, for instance, but I found a "new" title listed here -- new to me, at least. I also discovered a James Gould Cozzens book I'd never heard of.

The handbook is actually an encyclopedia of words and phrases pertaining to the study of literature. Listings are defined, explained and often illustrated. There are cross references. Appendices include complete lists of Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction, poetry and drama. The index of proper names in the back lists over 2,300 authors and prominent literary figures.

This book is a must for the home library. Also, it's entertaining as well as informative reading. You may well find yourself curled up with it, unwilling to tear yourself away.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential for Most Liberal Arts Students, December 14, 2000

By	Renee Thorpe (Karangasem, Bali) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Handbook to Literature (Hardcover)

With the possible exception of my Roget's Thesaurus, this was the most useful reference in my pursuit of a BA in English Lit and Art History. This was recommended by one of my professors and it served me very well.

Easy-to-use alphabetical format allows reader to look up terms essential to the analysis of literature, and is highly useful to students of other humanities. The definitions are easy to digest but are quite thorough and supply sufficient context. Take this to college and use it often. An excellent tool for your research and writing.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handy, Handy, Handy!, May 30, 2001

By	"engltchr" (Remerton, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Handbook to Literature (Hardcover)

I love this book because it has complete, concise definitions of every literary facet you can think of. I have used it as a study tool for my certification tests, as a quick look up tool before tests, and as a way to explain difficult literary terminology to my students. I cannot stress how badly English teachers (and anyone else who loves literature) needs this book!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 18 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Really fast delivery!
My on-line class had already started and the books had not arrived. The campus bookstore couldn't give me any clue as to when their 'back-order' problem might be resolved. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Bobby Young

3.0 out of 5 stars A Handbook to Literature
It appears to be a good book. I have not actually used it much, yet. It has tons of information in it that I will eventually need.

Thanks

Published 14 months ago by Gidget

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine and useful book
I used to stay with an old gal who was a student of the original author of this book. That old gal was wrong about a lot of things,IMO, but she was on the mark in her celebration... Read more

Published 15 months ago by Myrna Minkoff

5.0 out of 5 stars Indespensible
After several feverish hours of searching for literary definitions that I could not find anywhere on the internet, I remembered this book which I had bought for my first college... Read more

Published 19 months ago by Katie

5.0 out of 5 stars Revision of Holman's classic Handbook
The original compiler/editor, Hugh Holman, had created a classic--probably the best handbook to literature (almost exclusively English and American) available. Read more

Published on February 24, 2006 by Gordon C. Appleton

5.0 out of 5 stars A Handbook to Literature (10th edition)
Easily one of the best handbooks on the market, and an indispensable reference for English teachers of literature and researchers at all levels. Read more

Published on February 20, 2006 by A. W. Bowker

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for School
This text was required, and it was cheaper at Amazon than the local university book stores. The book is actually great. I wish I had it when I first started school. Read more

Published on January 23, 2006 by D. Butler

3.0 out of 5 stars Moderately like
The book has its benefits as well as its drawbacks. But is extremely helpful when a certain topic must be further analyzed but you must be familiar with the topic beforehand.

Published on September 26, 2005 by Rachel Y. Coston

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for people who love literary devices
Very informative and expansive. It's handy and interesting because it goes past basic definitions to include historical background, etc.

Published on December 23, 2003 by Alane Fuller

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovin' Literature
Best book I ever bought in my four years studying English at Purdue University.

Published on December 16, 1999 by C. Hemmerly

› See all 18 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; }