Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms

摘要

This fourth edition of a work which first appeared in 1990 as the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms is a little masterpiece of economy on many levels. Eschewing general concepts like "art", it is still "a book of hard words alphabetically arranged and briefly explained", as its author, an English professor at Goldsmiths, London, explains in an admirably terse, two-page preface (p. ⅸ). While making no claim to comprehensiveness, the enterprise has now been expanded to include recent literary phenomena like "chick lit" and the "sex n'shopping novel". Simultaneously, recognition is accorded to revived interest in classical rhetorical forms over the past few decades. In cognisance of the Internet, website resources are now added to some 50 entries, and the title itself is also available online, imbuing a very current feel. The result is both an indispensably useful aid for quick reference, and a compelling and entertaining - if occasionally contentious - read for the casual browser.