The A-Z of Great Writers: The World's Leading Authors and Their Works [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Carlton Books (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 2002

Written by Daily Express New Names award winner Tom Payne, this definitive illustrated encyclopedia features 389 writers in every genre from every age.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

-Payne introduces 389 writers, all of whom are assigned a page that includes a listing of major works, a photograph or illustration, and a short essay emphasizing some aspect of the individuals and their writing. The subjects represent a wide range of literary periods and nations. They range from Aphra Behn to Ken Kesey to Ovid to Jean-Paul Sartre. European and American writers are well represented. Some of the choices are puzzling. E. Annie Proulx and Toni Morrison are included, but not Alice Walker or Annie Dillard. The omissions of Jean Toomer and Zora Neale Hurston are regrettable. As Payne states, however, "a book can only have so many pages." The strength of this title is that its sheer number of entries and its awareness of the changing canon as well as its international approach will, as the editor hopes, encourage "more people to read more."-Rebecca L. Wells, UMI, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Here Payne, a playwright and book reviewer, proposes to "answer the question, `Why should I read this author?' " International in coverage, his book includes 389 literary authors, poets, and dramatists. Arranged alphabetically by author, the page-long entries start with a quote and then contain a few paragraphs about the author. Also on each page is a photograph of the writer and, in the outer margin, a selected bibliography of his or her works. The index is to names and titles of works only. The thrust of each essay is to present, in one or two short paragraphs, the major themes of an author's oeuvre, often with a sentence or two about specific works. This guide will be most useful for school libraries and for public libraries needing brief overviews of important authors; most academic libraries will find it too simplistic.ACynthia A. Johnson, Barnard Coll. Lib., New York
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Carlton Books (October 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 185868322X
• ISBN-13: 978-1858683225
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,092,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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