The Facts on File Companion to the British Short Story

by Andrew Maunder

The Facts On File Companion to the British Short Story, a comprehensive reference to short fiction from Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Commonwealth, features some of the most popular writers and works in the high school curriculum. With approximately 450 entries, this new A-to-Z guide explores the literary contributions of such writers as Joseph Conrad, James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, Rudyard Kipling, Oscar Wilde, Katherine Mansfield, Martin Amis, and many others. Coverage includes: major short stories and novellas, including Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, James Joyce's The Dead, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's A Scandal in Bohemia, Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. born within Great Britain and Ireland and those born in British Commonwealth countries who lived in Great Britain or heavily influenced the British short story; important collections of short stories, including Rudyard Kipling's Jungle stories, Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber, and Hanif Kureishi's Intimacy; and, important concepts and movements in British short fiction, including detective fiction, science fiction, and class.

448 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2007

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished: 13.02.2019
Genre: non-fiction, literary reference
Rating: B
Conclusion:
The short story remains a neglected genre.
This book maps an overview of the main writers that shaped British short stories 1850s- present.
We read short biographical information about the writers, explanations of literary criticism (modernist, postmodernist...now I finally know what these terms mean!), commentary on several short stories and the influence WW I and WW II had on authors.
This is a clear, jargon-free reference book worth reading!