A William Faulkner Encyclopedia

(Hardback)

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Description

Sometimes called the American Shakespeare, William Faulkner is known for providing poignant and accurate renderings of the human condition, creating a world of colorful characters in his fictional Yoknapatawpha County, and writing in a style that is both distinct and demanding. Though he is known as a Southern writer, his appeal transcends regional and even national boundaries. Since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950, he has been the subject of more than 5,000 scholarly books and articles. Academic interest in his career has been matched by popular acclaim, with some of his works adapted for the cinema. This reference is an authoritative guide to Faulkner's life, literature, and legacy. The encyclopedia includes nearly 500 alphabetically arranged entries for topics related to Faulkner and his world. Included are entries for his works and major characters and themes, as well as the literary and cultural contexts in which his texts were conceived, written, and published. There are also entries for relatives, friends, and other persons important to Faulkner's biography; historical events, persons, and places; social and cultural developments; and literary and philosophical terms and movements. The entries are written by expert contributors who bring a broad range of perspectives and experience to their analysis of his work. Entries typically conclude with suggestions for further reading, and the volume closes with a bibliography and detailed index.

Reviews

"This reference work is as authoritative and thorough as any I have seen in any field....A William Faulkner Encyclopedia will now give teachers, researchers, students, and readers of the Nobel Prize winner the starting point for understanding different ways of approaching his work....This encyclopedia gives due justice to the diversity of meanings in Faulkner's work and will help to make his work relevant to new generations of readers."-Charles Reagan Wilson Director and Professor History and Southern Studies University of Mississippi
A William Faulkner Encyclopedia should prove especially valuable to those readers "as yet enversed in reading and appreciating Faulkner's work," including high school and college students, their instructors, and ambitious readers-for-pleasure eager to hazard the challenges and delights of a formidable literary figure. Even the seasoned Faulkner teacher and/or scholar, however, will find much of use here....Credit is due to Hamblin and Peek for producing a volume worthy of their subject's omnivorous imgination and prodigious achievement.-Arkansas Review
Aimed at an audience already familiar with Faulkner or one ready to do research, this title is best suited for academic and larger public libraries, as well as high schools with Advanced Placement American Literature classes.-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
Students, scholars, and Faulkner aficionados should hope to find this treasure in their academic and public libraries.-American Books Reference Annual
The editors, with a number of noteworthy contributors, have provided a welcome addition to the study of Faulkner....Entries are arranged alphabetically, some followed by suggested readings, and the bibliography and index are excellent. The evolution of Faulkner criticism over the last 30 years finally has been absorbed and presented clearly and concisely. An extremely thorough work, worthwhile for all libraries.-Choice
The editors, I'm delighted to say, have succeeded in their endeavor. This work is highly-recommended for all Southern scholars and Faulkner devotees.-Charleston Daily News
"Aimed at an audience already familiar with Faulkner or one ready to do research, this title is best suited for academic and larger public libraries, as well as high schools with Advanced Placement American Literature classes."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"Students, scholars, and Faulkner aficionados should hope to find this treasure in their academic and public libraries."-American Books Reference Annual
"The editors, with a number of noteworthy contributors, have provided a welcome addition to the study of Faulkner....Entries are arranged alphabetically, some followed by suggested readings, and the bibliography and index are excellent. The evolution of Faulkner criticism over the last 30 years finally has been absorbed and presented clearly and concisely. An extremely thorough work, worthwhile for all libraries."-Choice
"The editors, I'm delighted to say, have succeeded in their endeavor. This work is highly-recommended for all Southern scholars and Faulkner devotees."-Charleston Daily News
"A William Faulkner Encyclopedia should prove especially valuable to those readers "as yet enversed in reading and appreciating Faulkner's work," including high school and college students, their instructors, and ambitious readers-for-pleasure eager to hazard the challenges and delights of a formidable literary figure. Even the seasoned Faulkner teacher and/or scholar, however, will find much of use here....Credit is due to Hamblin and Peek for producing a volume worthy of their subject's omnivorous imgination and prodigious achievement."-Arkansas Review

Author Bio

ROBERT W. HAMBLIN is Professor of English and Director of the Center for Faulkner Studies at Southeast Missouri State University. He is editor of the newsletter Teaching Faulkner and coeditor of Faulkner: A Comprehensive Guide to the Brodsky Collection (5 vols., 1982-89). His articles have appeared in such journals as Southern Review, Studies in Bibliography, American Notes and Queries, Southern Literary Journal, and Journal of Mississippi History. CHARLES A. PEEK is Professor of English and Director of the Prairie Institute at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The associate editor of Teaching Faulkner, he has published essays on Faulkner in the Faulkner Journal and the MLA volume Approaches to Teaching The Sound and the Fury.