Review by Choice Review
Intended as a combination and expansion of Cyclopedia of World Authors (rev. ed., 1974, 3 v.) and Cyclopedia of World Authors II (CH, Apr'90; 4 v.), and a complement to Masterplots (rev. 2nd ed., 1996; 12 v.), this set covers 2,057 individuals from antiquity to the present, with 523 completely new entries. The remaining essays revise extensively entries for authors from the two previous sets. The expansion focuses on what the preface describes as "American ethnic literatures" (Native American, African American, Asian, and Latino), with other writers who have achieved prominence (such as Nobel Prize recipients) added. Entries are arranged alphabetically by either surname or accepted pseudonym; birth and death data are followed by a listing of works, most dominant genre listed first. Essays are typically one page long and highlight distinctive features of specific works and the writer's significance in national and global contexts. The bibliography section offers a short descriptive overview of useful titles. Indexes (in the fifth volume) cover names and pseudonyms (with valuable cross-references) and a time line of birth years. A useful acquisition for general literature reference collections in both public and academic libraries. R. B. M. Ridinger; Northern Illinois University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Containing biographical and critical essays on 2,057 writers from antiquity to the present, this set combines and expands the coverage of two earlier Salem publications: Cyclopedia of World Authors (rev. ed., 1974) and Cyclopedia of World Authors II [RBB Mr 1 90]. The publisher indicates that 523 of the essays in this compilation are completely new, while 969 others have been revised and updated. The diverse mix of individuals selected for inclusion encompasses both fiction and nonfiction writers, ranging from ancient authors such as Aesop, Confucius, and Thucydides to modern figures such as Benazir Bhutto, Jane Goodall, and August Wilson. Averaging 1,000 words each, the signed, alphabetically arranged entries were contributed by scholars who are affiliated primarily with academic institutions in the U.S. and Canada. Each article includes a primary bibliography, an essay providing an overview of the writer's life and work, and a narrative bibliography of selected biographical and critical sources. Although the publisher notes that the bibliographies have been checked and updated as necessary, the primary bibliographies are not uniformly current. For example, Larry McMurtry's Zeke and Ned (Simon & Schuster, 1997) is cited, but John Cheever's Thirteen Uncollected Stories (Academy Chicago, 1994) is not. On the other hand, the editors are to be commended for remaining abreast of obituaries. Even James Dickey's death in January 1997 is noted. Although many countries are represented, approximately 72 percent of the entries are for English-language authors. Coverage of women authors and authors from American ethnic groups is particularly strong. In fact, when selecting writers who have risen to prominence since the 1960s, the editors appear to have given preference to women over men. How else can one explain the inclusion of women writers such as Tama Janowitz, Andrea Lee, and Cathleen Schine and the exclusion of award-winning male writers such as Roddy Doyle, Michael Ondaatje, and Vikram Seth? These omissions are even more puzzling given the coverage of a number of relatively obscure figures from earlier periods. Volume 5 includes an author index that also provides cross-references from pseudonyms and variant forms of an author's name, a time line that arranges authors by year of birth, and a geographical index that categorizes them by country. Writers who are identified with more than one country, such as Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, generally appear under each country; however Tom Stoppard is listed only under Czechoslovakia and not under England. At a time when biographical sources limited to literary figures on the basis of time period, nationality or region, language, genre, race, ethnic background, gender, or sexual orientation are proliferating, it is useful to have a compilation that simply treats important writers regardless of their eras or affiliations. Although this work is not without flaws, it provides easy access to background information on a wide range of authors who are frequently studied by high-school and undergraduate students in the U.S., and its straightforward alphabetical arrangement and concise, readable essays will appeal to that audience. No other single print source offers the broad scope and generous entries that characterize this set; therefore, it makes a unique contribution, and it will be a useful addition to high-school, public, and academic libraries.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
A consolidated, revised, and expanded version of Cyclopedia of World Authors (1974) and Cyclopedia of World Authors II (LJ 2/1/90), this set comprises more than 2000 signed, biocritical profiles of standard authors, from ancient times to the present, with a heavy emphasis on English-language writers in the 20th century. The entries, which average about a page in length and include bibliographies, are generally clear, concise, and current. Occasionally, complex themes are befogged owing to oversimplification, as in this commentary on Joyce Carol Oates: "The pessimism of her early novels earned her a reputation as an eccentric gothicist, but her later work, although still marked by depictions of horror, offers greater hope for transcendence." About a quarter of the authors covered are new to this edition; also new are a geographical index and a time line, which lists biographies by date of birth. Many sources of author information existfrom Gale's "Contemporary Authors" series and Continuum's Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20th Century (1983. 4 vols. 2d ed.) to the various Oxford Companionsbut none has the historical range plus currency and depth of treatment offered here. Recommended for public, academic, and school libraries that can afford it.Ken Kister, author of "Kister's Best Encyclopedias," Tampa, Fla. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Library Journal Review
