Writing About Literature (10th Edition) [Paperback]

Edgar V. Roberts (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0130978019 | ISBN-13: 978-0130978011 | Publication Date: July 20, 2002 | Edition: 10

For any level English composition courses in which literature is introduced. This text provides comprehensive discussions and sample papers for students who need to write about the elements of literature. Designed to help students read, study, think, plan, draft, and write, all chapters contain discussions of important literary subjects, such as character, setting, and symbolism. Available in Full and Brief editions.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

In this Eighth Edition of Writing About Literature, Roberts has kept and strengthened the features that have brought this textbook such acclaim in previous editions, while bringing other areas of both content and strategy through almost total revision. The text provides comprehensive discussions and sample papers for students who are writing about the elements of literature. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

Students who write about what they read learn twice, for as they plan and develop their writing, they necessarily grow as thinkers.

This book provides comprehensive discussions and sample papers for students who are writing about the elements of literature. All chapters contain discussions of important literary subjects—such as character, setting, and symbolism—followed by a guide to the necessary steps for students to produce good essays. This accessible text is a perfect companion for any course that wants to focus on strengthening writing skills.

We are delighted to offer select Penguin Putnam titles at a substantial discount to your students when you request a special package of one or more Penguin titles with any Prentice Hall text. Contact your Prentice Hall sales representative for special ordering instructions.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 382 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 10 edition (July 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130978019
• ISBN-13: 978-0130978011
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #768,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for AP English Literature courses, March 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Writing About Literature (9th Edition) (Paperback)

WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE offers clear strategies for writing a variety of literary analysis essays. Many examples and step-by-step procedures to write a variety of essays such as: characterization, setting, metaphor and allegory, point of view, theme, imagery, and tone. An appendix at the back of the book provides samples of literature for students to use as resources for analysis including classic short stories, poems, and two plays. This 9th edition also includes a chapter explaining 10 critical approaches to literature.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Writing About Literature, July 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Writing About Literature (9th Edition) (Paperback)

A wonderfully helpful, classy book. I just wish this book had been the first choice for students at the college where I teach an introduction to literature course. I use Writing About Literature to supplement the classroom textbook. Writing About Literature makes difficult concepts about chacterization, theme, symbol, irony, and so on easier for students to understand. The narrative voice is friendly, never stiff or preachy. Super job, Mr. Roberts. This book goes with me to every introductory literature course I teach.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Okay Text with Some Odd Terminology, February 23, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Writing About Literature (10th Edition) (Paperback)

I'm forced to use this book at the college where I teach because a committee chose it. While it does an acceptable job at explaining the basics of story elements--character, plot, dialogue, etc.--its essay examples are mediocre to awful. Worse, Roberts likes to refer to what every undergraduate and graduate class I've ever taken calls a "thesis" as a "central idea." In turn, he calls a list of supporting points the "thesis." The result is never-ending confusion for students--I've actually had students tell me, "But that's not what we called a thesis in freshman composition." Also, this isn't Roberts' fault, but we use the book in American literature courses when most of his examples are British--perhaps more examples focusing on American writers would make the book more applicable to American literature courses? New editions of the book are also churned out every couple of years, but the differences between the more recent editions appear to be marginal, meaning students have to keep shelling out dollars to get the new edition for what is mostly the same information as the old edition.