Major Characters in American Fiction (Henry Holt Reference Book) - Hardcover

Salzman, Jack

9780805030600: Major Characters in American Fiction (Henry Holt Reference Book)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805030603 ISBN 13: 9780805030600

Publisher: Holt Rinehart & Winston, 1994

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Describes nearly sixteen hundred characters from Alice Adams to Nathan Zuckerman

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About the Author:

Jack Salzman is the director of the Center for American Culture Studies at Columbia University.

From Booklist:

This is a compilation of nearly 1,600 biographical sketches of fictional characters from American novels and short stories. Many are from classic works of fiction (The Scarlet Letter, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), but others are drawn from the works of lesser-known writers and their works (Edgar Huntly by Charles Brockden Brown or Beetlecreek by William Demby). The majority of works included were written for adults, but characters from classic children's literature are also included, most notably, Dorothy and other characters from Baum's Wizard of Oz.

Entries are arranged alphabetically by the character's last name. The title of the book, the author, and the date of publication follow. Details and significant events in the character's life are drawn from the novel or novels in which he or she appears. The length of the "biography" varies from character to character, but all include a brief interpretation of the character's life and significance to the work. In most cases, if the volume contains an entry for another character in the same novel, that character's name is listed in all capital letters. The entry for Scarlett O'Hara highlights the names of Rhett Butler, Ashley Wilkes, and Melanie Hamilton (Wilkes). There are, however, some exceptions to this rule. Entries for the members of Mary McCarthy's The Group do not contain such cross-references to the other characters profiled. Following the biographical entries are a complete list of authors with the names of the characters and the title of the work and a list of titles with the name of the characters and the author.

The editors intend the volume to represent a cross-section of American literature, illustrating its depth and diversity. They do not include any criteria for inclusion, other than to say that the characters profiled were chosen for their importance and significance to the staff of the Center for American Culture Studies at Columbia University. All biographical sketches were written by staff members of the center.

This is a readable work that would be accessible to both high-school students and patrons of the public library. Since it contains more detail than a dictionary guide to famous literary characters, it would be useful to reference and reader's advisory librarians. This work will also interest browsers who are sure to find new characters and new titles to read and enjoy. Dictionary of American Literary Characters (Facts On File, 1990) identifies only the title and author of the book in which 11,000 characters appear.

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