Critical Companion Series – serie

The Scarlet Letter, ""The House of the Seven Gables"", ""Young Goodman Brown,"" and ""Rappaccini's Daughter"" are staples of high school English classes across the country. Nathaniel Hawthorne's works and characters have left a lasting impression on writers, scholars, and readers around the world. ""Critical Companion to Nathaniel Hawthorne"" offers critical entries on Hawthorne's novels, short stories, travel writing, criticism, and other works, as well as portraits of characters, including Hester Prynne and Roger Chillingworth. This comprehensive reference also provides entries on Hawthorne's family, friends - ranging from Herman Melville to President Franklin Pierce - publishers, and critics, as well as periodicals that published his work and important places and events in his life. Covering everything of importance in Nathaniel Hawthorne's life and work, this invaluable guide offers a complete view of this revered author. Coverage includes: a biography of Nathaniel Hawthorne; entries on his works, both major and minor, including critical surveys and coverage of major characters; entries on family, friends, places, critics, and more; and appendixes, including full texts of important contemporary reviews (including Edgar Allan Poe's famous review of ""Twice-Told Tales""), a bibliography, a chronology of Hawthorne's life, and more.

Known for his favorite themes of New England and nature, Robert Frost may well be the most famous American poet of the 20th century. His classic works include the poems ""The Road Not Taken,"" ""Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,"" ""The Death of the Hired Man,"" and many more. ""Critical Companion to Robert Frost"" is an encyclopedic guide to the life and works of this great American poet. This accessible volume combines extensive critical analysis with in-depth information on Frost's life, providing a one-stop resource for students. Coverage includes: a concise but thorough biography of Frost; entries on every one of Frost's published poems, plays, and important works of prose; criticism and interpretations of Frost's work; entries on related people, places, themes, and topics; and appendixes, including bibliographies of primary and secondary sources and a chronology.

A master of extreme situations, Charles Dickens populated his novels with unforgettable characters and elaborate settings. ""Critical Companion to Charles Dickens"" is an essential reference to everything one needs to know about Dickens and his work. This revised, reorganized, and fully updated revision of ""Charles Dickens A to Z"" contains extensive updates, including expanded commentary on the novels and on the major characters, as well as updates to reflect the latest in Dickens scholarship. This comprehensive, single-volume reference contains entries on this writer's works, including the characters in each work, crucial historical and thematic information, and critical discussion. It also includes entries on related people, places, themes, topics, and influences. Additional features include 50 illustrations, a chronology, a bibliography of primary and secondary sources, and much more. Coverage includes: a detailed discussion of Dickens' life; synopses and critical examinations of Dickens's published works, major and minor, with extensive analyses of his major novels, including ""David Copperfield"", ""Bleak House"", ""Oliver Twist"", ""A Christmas Carol"", and more; entries on the characters in his fiction, with major characters receiving extensive commentary; profiles of friends, family, and contemporaries, as well as the places important to Dickens' life and fiction; and discussions of themes and important, broader topics.