New and noteworthy

Contemporary Review, March, 2004

This month's column features literary titles. First, from VINTAGE's much respected guides to 'living texts', the 'Essential Guide to Contemporary Literature' edited by Margaret Reynolds and Jonathan Noakes, we have John Fowles: The Essential Guide. As with earlier volumes this has three sections.

The first is a short introduction to the writer combined with an interview. After this there are detailed discussions of selected works, in this case The Collector, The Magus and The French Lieutenant's Woman. Finally there is a reference section, selections from critical writings about these works, a glossary of literary terms used in the book, a biographical outline and a select bibliography. In Susan Hill: The Essential Guide the same format is used except here four works are discussed: I'm the King of the Castle, Strange Meeting, The Woman in Black and A Bit of Singing and Dancing. The third new title has a different subject matter: American Fiction: The Essential Guide and here the text discusses four novels by four separate writers: Native Son by Richard Wright, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, and Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. The same format is used as in the other titles and all three cost a very reasonable [pounds sterling]5.99.