World Literature

Magill's Survey of World Literature
A unique combination of biography and critical analysis, covering major writers from outside the United States and their significant works in fiction, drama, poetry, and nonfiction.
A companion to the award-winning Magill's Survey of American Literature, this comprehensive, six-volume set offers profiles of major authors of fiction, drama, poetry, and essays, each with sections on biography, general analysis, and analysis of the author's most important works-novels, short stories, poems, and works of nonfiction. The completely revamped edition updates these original essays and adds many new ones, covering 380 writers at the heart of literary studies.
Expanding the Scope
For this edition, 87 new authors have been added to the 293 already profiled. These new writers span both the globe, representing 45 different countries, and time, from the 6th century B.C.E. to the 21st century. This new edition features more women writers and authors of children's and young adult literature. Among the new authors profiled in this set are such well-known authors as Roald Dahl, Anne Frank, Soren Kierkegaard, Primo Levi, A.A. Milne, and Friedrich Nietzsche. Also included are contemporary authors such as Douglas Adams, Helen Fielding, Nick Hornby, Ian McEwan, and J.K. Rowling. The literary scope of this reference work is remarkable.
Bringing Things Up to Date
All the original essays were reevaluated for their currency, and were given substantial revision, in many cases by the original contributor. The "Biography, " "Analysis, " and "Summary" sections were updated to include recent developments: new titles or awards, changes in residence or employment, and alterations in critical and popular reception. For these essays, one or more sections on specific works (novels, poems, short stories) were added. For all essays, the bibliographies-lists of the author's works and sources for further consultation-were revised to provide readers with the latest information. A new feature for this edition is a sidebar in each essay called "Discussion Topics." These provocative questions will prompt classroom debates on the writer's body of work, specific works, or life as it relates to his or her literature. Aimed at students, teachers, and members of reading groups, they can be used as paper topics or conversation points. In addition, phonetic pronunciation is now provided for a profiled author's foreign-language or unusual last name upon its first mention in the main text-for example, Aeschylus (EHS-kuh-luhs). A Pronunciation Key appears at the beginning of all six volumes.
Back Matter
Five reference features can be found at the end of volume 6:
Glossary: Defines crucial literary terms
Category List: Groups authors by genre, country, gender, and ethnic
identity
Author Index: Lists all authors covered in the set along with their works
Title Index: Lists all works covered in the set
Geographical List, which groups the authors by country.