Maureen Hughes

Pro: covers a vast amount of data.
Con: very minimal info for most entries.

Nearly all info is provided in point-form lists. A good source book, if you want to get a feeling for Western literature, from Chaucer to the 20th century. Various sections ("Literary Giants", "Classic Books For Children", etc), various types of information (character lists, popular authors by century, information about norms in each century, etc).

Some deeper information is provided, in the "Literary Giants" section, about Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, and Charles Dickens.

Overall, well-worth having a copy, for the occasional value it will provide. Kind of like a hard-copy-internet, for classic writers and their works. My only complaint would be the amount of detail, but then a detailed book covering this much would actually be an Encyclopedia set, so... I guess I won't complain, after all.… (altro)