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Summary: A Priceless Resource
Review: I purchased this for myself my second year of college. Being an English major especially interested in the Modernists, it soon became the most used volume in my bookcase. A fantastic quick reference when crunched for time and excellent for understanding those oh-so-esoteric literary allusions. It's wonderful, with references for historical and artistic events and movements, novels, epics, authors, poets . . . a must for any lover and/or student of literature. This would make a fantastic gift, too!
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Summary: Things we should know.
Review: I think this is a great reference book and it helps fill in the blanks of my education.
I have been giving it to kids I know who are off to college and show signs of intelligence.
It's been well received and we'll all be using it for the rest of our reading lives.
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Summary: Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia
Review: If you ever have a fire and can only rescue one thing - let this book be it!! Covering everything from historical information to biblical references, this book allows one to look up who wrote what and when, and also lists anything else written by that person. Everything is wonderfully cross-referenced and easy to use.Want to know who wrote what play or opera, you can find it. Want to know about the Monroe Doctrine - it is there! Want to learn about King George III, right - "it's in there". A sure bet for anyone interested in fiction, history, poetry, opera, art etc.
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Summary: Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia
Review: If you ever have a fire and can only rescue one thing - let this book be it!! Covering everything from historical information to biblical references, this book allows one to look up who wrote what and when, and also lists anything else written by that person. Everything is wonderfully cross-referenced and easy to use. Want to know who wrote what play or opera, you can find it. Want to know about the Monroe Doctrine - it is there! Want to learn about King George III, right - "it's in there". A sure bet for anyone interested in fiction, history, poetry, opera, art etc.
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Summary: AN ENGLISH MAJOR'S BIBLE!
Review: Like a website and links, one has difficulty just reading the item searched for. One entry leads to another and time is fast swallowed up. This is the third edition of the Benet book I have owned. The original first edition is in shreds, but I will not give it up. Another edition came in two volumes. It was okay but I remained partial to Mr. Benet's original. This latest edition is absolutely superb with lots of updating and handy format and size. Some entries in earlier editions are missing, but minor concern. .
My Benet's work was a major assist in my earning under graduate and graduate degrees with majors in English! Perfect for last minute exam review and just informative reading.
I am buying two more copies for gifts!
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Summary: It Lives on My Bedside Table
Review: My Benet has been a constant companion for 15 years. A few days ago I reluctantly turned in my tattered old copy for the new edition. In my opinion, only Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable and the Oxford Dictionary of Aphorisms can match Benet for sheer browsing pleasure. The most impressive thing about this reference is its amazing range - the literatures of many countries, history, philosophy, language, even science and politics. There are innumerable short biographies, articles on individual literary characters and many handy plot summaries. All in a well bound paperback that can be read lying down! I also have a fatal weakness for the Oxford Companions, but if you are looking for a single volume guide to the literary world, look no further than Benet.
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Summary: Where's Brodsky?
Review: The best bedside reader's companion. You'll find yourself consulting it daily. But the Fourth Edition seems to have more mistakes than the Third. Example: There's no entry for Nobel Prize winning poet Joseph Brodsky, despite the fact that his name is all-capped (meaning there is an entry) elsewhere (see the entry for Anna Akhmatova). Also, I've found some sloppy typos. Example: the header on Page 18 ("Askyonov" should be "Aksyonov") Nevertheless, a treasure, either for browsing or for reference
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Summary: Great book! One of my favourites.
Review: This book has been a valuable resource in finding information on numbers of studies. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Literature.
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Summary: Best summary of world literature ever!
Review: This excellent reference work neatly arranges anything a serious reader would ever encounter, whether through allusion or recommendation. Concise entries clearly explain nearly the whole of literature. Nothing of importance is left out -- the only problem its obscurity. This book deserves a place on every shelf
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Summary: If you don't even have time to read Cliffs Notes
Review: This is one encyclopedia that is actually fun to read and browse. I fully join in the earlier reviewers' praise for this book. I do, however, have a couple of constructive criticisms. First, much too much space is devoted to non-literary historical and political figures and events. Hopefully, the next edition will cut down on this stuff, so that more "minor" writers can be included, especially contemporary writers and writers from the non-English speaking world. (In this respect, the Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature is probably a more comprehensive reference.) Second, too many entries about particular works are merely brief plot summaries that do not convey to the uneducated reader (such as this one) the essential meaning or significance of the work in question. That said, Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia is one great reference book to have around.
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