Critical survey of long fiction

Abstract

This work offers profiles of major writers of long fiction throughout history and the world, including analyses of their significant novels and novellas. It discusses the novel in overview essays by time period, country, ethnicity, and genre, and provides valuable resource material. Originally published in 1983 & 1984 and revised in 2000, Critical Survey of Long offers 678 profiles of major writers of long fiction throughout history and the world, including analyses of their significant novels and novellas. Overview essays discuss the novel and other long fiction by time period, country, ethnicity, and genre. This new edition includes all 581 original author essays as well as 97 new ones, expanding the set to ten volumes and covering more than 60 countries and the literary fiction from the 10th century to the 21st. All the original essays were evaluated for their currency, and 130 of them were replaced or substantially revised, in some cases by the original contributors. The sections 'Other Literary Forms', 'Achievements', 'Biography', and 'Analysis' 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 novels or novellas were added. This edition also provides 61 informative overviews in volume 10 organized under the categories 'Long Fiction in History', 'World Long Fiction', 'North American Long Fiction', and 'Genre overviews'; eight of the essays are new. The essays are arranged alphabetically by author. Each essay begins with full data on dates and places of birth and death, and a list of the author's 'Principal Long Fiction'. A brief overview of 'Other Literary Forms' places the author in a larger literary context. Two longer sections, 'Achievements' and 'Biography', follow. 'Analysis', the heart of the essay, describes the author's work in the long fiction form and examines it in terms of themes, typical concerns, characters, and motifs; several subsections on the author's most important works illustrate these themes. Finally, a 'Further Readings' section lists authoritative, up-to-date resources. Volume 10 contains a number of useful resource aids, including a general Bibliography, a Time Line, a list of Major Awards, a Chronological List of Authors, and Category, Geographical and General Subject Indexes.