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Synopsis
Includes more than 350 interpretative essays on the themes, plots, and techniques of works of twentieth-century fiction published in England, Ireland, Canada, India, Nigeria, ...
Library Journal
Magill is the prolific editor of Masterpieces of African-American Literature (HarperCollins, 1992), which is shorter than but similar in content to this reference. This three-volume set follows the same style and format as the previous nine, offering author, dates, type of work, plot summary, short analysis, critical view, and annotated bibliography. All entries are signed. The writers covered are impressive: Angelou, Kincaid, Gates, Du Bois, Morrison, and Wright are joined by lesser-known writers such as Ann Petry (The Street) and Gordon Parks, film director/photographer/writer. The one great flaw in the entire series is that it is not as useful as one would like. Cliff Notes offer more detailed plot summaries, and students who have read a particular book or are searching for an author to read will find Masterplots useful only as a starting point to further exploration in subject-specific titles and bibliographies. Recommended for public and undergraduate libraries only; for most libraries, the Norton Anthology of Afro-American Literature (Norton, 1990), edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr., is a richer resource.-Neal Wyatt, Mary Washington Coll. Lib., Fredericksburg, Va.