Encyclopedia of German Literature

Rating:
Summary: Five stars (at least!) for content, 2 stars for copy editing
Review: This encyclopedia is absolutely terrific in terms of its content, breadth, and readability. There is nothing like it in English that I am aware of, save for the Oxford Companion to German Literature, which has a UK/European bias and which is not nearly as exhaustive. The editors and contributors are academics based in US universities. The entries are wonderfully written and cover major (and not so well-known) writers (with analyses of their best works), genres (Sturm und Drang, Romanticism and the like), important cities (Berlin, Munich, Vienna, etc.), literature in Austria and Switzerland, immigrant writers, and so on. I have more than a passing interest in German literature, but certainly am no specialist, and it was a treat reading about writers I am familiar with as well as learning about writers whom I had not heard of before. The set (2 volumes) is sturdily bound, with attractive typeface, a wonderful front cover illustration by Gabriele Munter (which is described in the introduction--a nice touch!), several indexes and extensive bibliographies after each entry.

So why only 3 stars? Because the copy editing is very, very sloppy. This is the fault of the publisher, I think, not the editors and contributors. I was really surprised at the number of typos I found while reading this encyclopedia (yes, reading it. I bought it for my personal library!). These probably would not be noticeable to a one-time user looking up information on Goethe or something; however, sitting and reading entry after entry, I was shocked at the number of words left out of sentences and transposed numbers in dates (1935 when it is clear from the entry that the author being described lived during the 19th century and the date should have been 1835). These are the sorts of errors that spell-checking and other word processing 'mistake finders' do NOT find. Only diligent and careful reading by copy editors will find these sorts of errors. It's a shame that the publisher did not choose to correct these errors, because they definitely detract from the whole. This encyclopedia is supposed to be the 'ne plus ultra' and it is, in terms of content, but the numerous typos are jarring in a publication that is clearly aiming to be a standard reference source in English for German-language literature, and which carries a ... price tag. I hope the publisher corrects these errors in later printings. Despite the typos, I highly recommend it for any academic or research library, and for anyone who loves German literature. It is truly a fabulous resource.

Rating:
Summary: A remarkable reference work
Review: This excellent reference work has detailed and informative entries that cover a wide range of topics on established as well as more recent subjects. Articles are consistently well written and engaging and display a variety of approaches and methods. Very useful for both specialized scholars of German and students new to the field. I haven't come across the many typos of which the other reviewer mentions. Highly recommended and a must have for any German specialist.