Dictionary of the Literature of the Iberian Peninsula: A-L, Vol. 1

From Booklist
This dictionary's purpose is to acquaint a wider audience with the rich literary tradition of the Iberian Peninsula. Given the paucity of reference books on the subject, many libraries will welcome the arrival of this attractive and comprehensive reference work, which covers all aspects of the literature of Spain and Portugal.The dictionary is essentially a translation and update of a valuable but outdated work, Diccionario de la Literatura Espa{¤}nola. The editors stress that their effort contains many new entries and that all major entries from the first book have been revised. A major change in coverage is the inclusion of entries for writers of the last half of the twentieth century, especially those who have been recognized as important only in the last two decades.The dictionary covers literature from the tenth century to the mid-1980s and from all major literary traditions: Spanish, Catalan, Galician, and Portuguese. The editors stress that they have devoted "more attention to writings by traditionally neglected or forgotten female authors, especially those of the twentieth century."The book begins with an alphabetical list of the more than 140 contributors with their affiliations. Entries are arranged alphabetically by author's surname, followed by any pseudonym, place and date of birth, and a short phrase identifying the person. Some entries are for the title of a work or a name of an institution and are followed by a translation to English, pertinent dates as appropriate, and a brief explanation. There are also such topical entries as Censorship in Spanish Literature; Don Juan, The Myth of; Generation of 1898; and Hispano-Judaic Literature. An essay, one paragraph to several pages in length, describes the career or history and accomplishments of the subject. When book titles are mentioned within essays, different typefaces are used to show if the English title is an English-language edition or just a literal translation of the Spanish title. Completing each entry is a bibliography that provides information on primary texts and sources of criticism. Works by the author are listed in their original Spanish or Portuguese editions, followed by any English translations. Many of the critical works are also in Spanish. Unfortunately, there are no cross-references in the very detailed index or the text from variant forms of names. Since compound names are common in Spanish, readers will have to know to look, for instance, under Garc{¡}ia Lorca rather than Lorca. The index does gather together all writers by language; all Portuguese or Catalan authors, for instance.Given its uniqueness, the Dictionary of the Literature of the Iberian Peninsula will appeal to users ranging from English-speaking nonspecialists to scholars of Iberian literature. Recommended for purchase by academic and large public libraries.

From Book News, Inc.
With the goal of acquainting a wider audience with the rich history of literary achievements in the Iberian Peninsula, this reference, begun in the late 1970s and compiled by some 140 scholars, includes literature from the tenth century to the mid-1980s, and representatives from all major peninsular literatures: Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, and Spanish. "Literature" is defined broadly to include historical, religious, cultural, and philosophical writings as well as prose, poetry, and drama. Entries on selected literary movements, styles, and literatures have been included, as have a limited number of definitions pertinent to literary or cultural terms. All literary titles have been followed in the text with a published translation or a literal rendering of the original. The entries are complemented wherever possible by bibliographies of primary texts and selected critical studies as well as existing English translations of primary texts. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.


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With the goal of acquainting a wider audience with the rich history of literary achievements in the Iberian Peninsula, this reference, begun in the late 1970s and compiled by some 140 scholars, includes literature from the tenth century to the mid-1980s, and representatives from all major peninsular literatures: Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, and Spanish. "Literature" is defined broadly to include historical, religious, cultural, and philosophical writings as well as prose, poetry, and drama. Entries on selected literary movements, styles, and literatures have been included, as have a limited number of definitions pertinent to literary or cultural terms. All literary titles have been followed in the text with a published translation or a literal rendering of the original. The entries are complemented wherever possible by bibliographies of primary texts and selected critical studies as well as existing English translations of primary texts. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)


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