From Booklist
The year 1997 was the centennial of the birth of William Faulkner, and the editors, both professors of English, chose this opportunity to begin work on an updated analysis of one of the masters of twentieth-century literature. This encyclopedia is not so much about Faulkner's personal but his literary life, with entries covering primary influences and major themes, works, major characters, family members, and critics. All entries are signed and have further reading lists included. The length of the entries varies from a long paragraph to three pages. Arrangement is alphabetical.
Examples of entries on primary influences include Impressionism; Joyce, James; Paris; and Shakespeare. Examples of major themes include Religion, Slavery, and Sport. Entries that analyze Faulkner's writing include Point of view and Stream of consciousness, along with those for individual novels, short stories, screenplays, and other works. More than 50 contributors from a wide variety of colleges and universities were selected to participate in this study; and although this variety of well-known and newer Faulkner scholars allows for a multitude of opinions and voices, the editors admit that there is a wide range of writing styles. The volume concludes with a selected bibliography and an index.
The editors' stated goal was to "apprise an already literate reader of what constitutes the main body of Faulkner's work and to demonstrate why the critical estimation of that work is so secure and still growing. . . . Ideally, the volume will encourage in all its users further exploration of the varied issues and circumstances that situate Faulkner's work for readers." Aimed at an audience already familiar with Faulkner or one ready to do research, this title is best suited for academic and larger public libraries, as well as high schools with Advanced Placement American Literature classes.
Review
“The editors, with a number of noteworthy contributors, have provided a welcome addition to the study of Faulkner....Entries are arranged alphabetically, some followed by suggested readings, and the bibliography and index are excellent. The evolution of Faulkner criticism over the last 30 years finally has been absorbed and presented clearly and concisely. An extremely thorough work, worthwhile for all libraries.”–Choice
“Aimed at an audience already familiar with Faulkner or one ready to do research, this title is best suited for academic and larger public libraries, as well as high schools with Advanced Placement American Literature classes.”–Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
“Students, scholars, and Faulkner aficionados should hope to find this treasure in their academic and public libraries.”–American Books Reference Annual
“The editors, I'm delighted to say, have succeeded in their endeavor. This work is highly-recommended for all Southern scholars and Faulkner devotees.”–Charleston Daily News
“A William Faulkner Encyclopedia should prove especially valuable to those readers "as yet enversed in reading and appreciating Faulkner's work", including high school and college students, their instructors, and ambitious readers-for-pleasure eager to hazard the challenges and delights of a formidable literary figure. Even the seasoned Faulkner teacher and/or scholar, however, will find much of use here....Credit is due to Hamblin and Peek for producing a volume worthy of their subject's omnivorous imgination and prodigious achievement.”–Arkansas Review
“This reference work is as authoritative and thorough as any I have seen in any field....A William Faulkner Encyclopedia will now give teachers, researchers, students, and readers of the Nobel Prize winner the starting point for understanding different ways of approaching his work....This encyclopedia gives due justice to the diversity of meanings in Faulkner's work and will help to make his work relevant to new generations of readers.”–Charles Reagan Wilson Director and Professor History and Southern Studies University of Mississippi
See all Editorial Reviews
by Linda Wagner-Martin
by Joseph Blotner
by William Faulkner
by Cleanth Brooks
