The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory

by J.A. Cuddon

By J. A. Cuddon, Third Edition, Copyright 1991, Published by Penguin Books.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Writing, Literary Criticism, Literature, Dictionaries, Language

1072 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Jen Kautt]

Yeah, I'm reading it for my own personal pleasure.
Gotta problem with that?

[Jeena Mary Chacko]

An amazing behemoth of a book.... It is more like journeying through a complex, exotic map of a secret island than reading. I came across some of the loveliest terms that tickled and rolled on my tongue like the sweetest honey.. roman-feuilleton, litotes, duologue, effulgent.... Although a very academic work, I read it like a poem, explored it like silent children examining delightfully intriguing puzzle-boxes - leisurely lingering over descriptions, tracing terms of similar meaning and meandering deeper and deeper into its bulky depths. It is also a record of the rich history of literature, the different moments, styles, schools and theories. A must have for an academic and an great choice for those who love literature and poetry in a mad, curious and dionysian-like way.

[Sadia Mansoor]

Attention to all Literature Majors!

This dictionary is a great help for every literary term you are looking for! :)
Check it out https://www.politicalavenue.com/10862...

[Peter]

A very useful book that should be on every serious readers shelf.

[James Hartley]

This is a constantly entertaining reference/toilet book which I read cover to cover over a period of about a year. Always informative, it's occasionally waspish, sometimes pedantic, and very much a snapshot of the opinions of its time. Cuddon quotes himself in one instance - funny verse - but is by and large a humble, learned guide, except when he can't help himself. Has anyone read any of his books? - I'd love to know what they are like.
That little rabbit hole - looking up Cuddon's oeuvre - is one of many you'll find yourself slipping down as you peruse this tome. As a sometime-writer, I found the entries very inspiring, too.

[Alok Mishra]

A very useful book for the students of English literature. You will learn a lot and all the learning (elementary level, mostly) accumulated at one place - you can browse, find and learn. I will recommend this for the students of graduation, post graduation and senior levels.

[Fiz|فيز (Substack link in bio)]

My tip to every English Literature student GET THIS DICTIONARY it is so essential and I don't know how I have survived without it for so long. Absolutely amazing!!

[Kristin]

A great resource. I love the way the author has these partialities that he just can't keep out of his writing, no matter how hard to tries. How Poe having a lot of influence on later horror novelists was to their detriment, for example.

[Lady Jane]

A delectable, enjoyable, and very necessary buffet of knowledge for the English major! Sigh.

[Pooh Reads]

Dictionary of Literary Terms & Literary Theory by J.A Cuddon & M.A.R Habib...is a splendid work of Literary Reference for Literature Explorers!
-Provides you all sort of necessary details about terms, movements, genres, theories in English Literature.
one of the interesting things about this dictionary is its varieties of terms from another languages apart from Latin and Greek (Such as European languages: German, french, spanish, italian terms also Sanskrit, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, korean literary terms ) which are so Fun to know specially as a Literature admirer. Another Important thing is Influences of French, German and above mention languages on English Literature which also important for understanding different texts and writings!
I would say it is a great work to explore!
P.S. Dictionaries are not that bad after all Lol!
Happy Reading!

[Marie]

Excellent reference book!

[Bijan]

It's one of the best references in literary criticism and literary theories. I think the revisions made by M. A. R. Habib, Matthew Birchwood, Vedrana Velickovic, Martin Dines and Shanyn Fiske added so many good new features to this amazing work. They actually created an updated and more accessible version.

[Helen]

Although it is regularly released in new editions to include new entries and opinions, I still find by the time its published it's already quite out-of-date. Nevertheless, for what I needed it for, it was very easy to use, and the information that I found was fairly comprehensive.

[Angie Lisle]

A good reference book for Lit Majors.

[Linore]

This Christmas-related collection of stories and remembrances is both great fun (due to Buck's masterful fiction writing) but also, sad to say, disappointing when it comes to her autobiographical offerings. The best of it are the short stories. Buck's signature ability to capture a character's emotion and the backstory that explains it in as few words as necessary, is alive and well here. The stories are touching, relatable, and concise. The scenes from China are always interesting (including those from her remembrances). Most of the stories, moreover, are happier than not, even fun, whereas her autobiographical offerings, while interesting and with the odd quotable insight here or there, are nevertheless heavily infused with bittersweet nostalgia laced with tacit criticism of the world today--as if it were ever truly peaceful and without danger. The worst offender in my opinion is what she calls "Thoughts of a Woman at Christmas." Using Mary and Joseph as a mere springboard for her opinions (which are not Christmas related), she takes off on a long rant that is worth skipping. Other remembrances brim with self-congratulatory vignettes of magnanimity on the part of her and her household, though perhaps they are deserved. (She took in a number of Asian-American children. Buck had a big heart, and I congratulate her on that.) Yet, while I am a great admirer of (most of) Buck's fiction, which is what earned the four stars, this book that is purportedly about Christmas from a child of missionaries doesn't once give Jesus His due. Instead, she applauds the "spirit of Christmas," namely, goodwill among men, as the ultimate truth. Her references to the Lord are always "the Christ Child;" as if He never grew up, died on the cross, and was resurrected for the sins of the world. I will keep this book and hope to re-read the short stories, but skip the remembrances (with the exception of "Christmas Away from Home," which was truly eye-opening about pre-Communist China). To put all of this another way, the book celebrates Christmas joy but all too often lacks it. Nevertheless, any fan of Buck's will find the read worthwhile for its better parts.

[Oliver Brackenbury]

Using this as a reference while writing papers in school is one thing. Reading through it as a writer another, very rewarding thing! Like sifting through a large toolbox or paint set. Definitely recommend it, even if a significant percentage of entries are terms for every conceivable poetic arrangement of syllables you could ever imagine - which itself may be of interest to poets, as opposed to novelists like myself.

[Taylor Swift Scholar]

You know, I don’t think I recommend reading a dictionary from cover to cover. I learned a lot of stuff though. Some of the definitions could use some updating. Also so much of this book is clearly based on the original author’s knowledge and interests. It’s probably more fun to write a dictionary than to read one.

[Melody Schwarting]

If I could give one book to beginning literature students, it'd be this one. Specialist dictionaries are so useful in higher education, and this one covers a broad range of terms that exceed Google's usefulness. It's a good dictionary to wander around in, too.

[Stephanie Bruno]

Even though I’m not teaching English this year, it’s still a deep passion of mine and I don’t want to lose the knowledge of the written word. I’ve read a lot of theory books and this is the most straight-forward and ingestibile one in my opinion. Definitely recommend for literary nerds everywhere!

[Deanna ✰ ☾]

Very glad I own this reference tool.

[Arran Weed]

10/10

[Faiqa Mansab]

Excellent resource.

[James Iscariot Lorelei]

No plot but interesting words

[Sammy]

I have been dipping in and out of this behemoth during our year of plague. What a remarkable volume it is! Cuddon was a true intellect, a storehouse of literary knowledge, and he here tosses scraps of his enduring wisdom to we poor beggars at the feast. There are two things that make this stand out. First, Cuddon reminds us that we have forgotten how to be true literary omnivores. He will throw in half of a poem by Dryden or Crabbe or Manley Hopkins or Housman, reflect briefly on works from the Ancient Era through to the 1980s, and encourage us to be better, more accommodating readers. To treat Milton and Eliot on the same level, or Brecht and Osborne. Second, Cuddon reminds us that we have - in our own dispiriting 21st century way - forgotten how to love. Or, conversely, we have forgotten the theory of "aesthetic distance" - you'll need to look that up in this dictionary, but at heart it covers the notion of how attached we should get to a text's ideology and meaning to us personally, as opposed to its literary value and meaning intended by the author. Cuddon is not hung up on whether a movement, author, or philosophy quoted within fits with our modern sensibilities, nor whether it ticks a box on some well-meaning checklist. This is about quality and intent, nothing more.

Well, almost. Cuddon is also unashamedly personal; this is his work, and he'll damn sure make you aware of that! (At one point, he rather cheekily refers to "those poets who suffered from Imagism"!)

Bravo.

[Kyle]

Not really recommended. Many of the terms are out of date, self-explanatory, and/or very rarely used in literary studies today. Missing several really key terms/concepts (don't really recall what they were off the top of my head, but basically any time I've actually *needed* to use this book as a reference the term I need is not in it). The definitions it does give are so broad and vague (and usually outdated) as to not be of any use at all (e.g. the entry on Marxist criticism is very outdated; entries on particular genres (e.g. the realist novel) don't even provide a starting point of references to look into the actual scholarly work that's gone into defining the genre).

[C. J. Plourde]

This is another fantastic MUST HAVE for writers and readers. There are just so many beautiful passages that one would love to simply sit down and read it from cover to cover.

But, it is a reference manual, and it just fun, fun, fun. The book is a hardcover 4th edition with added materials, and is for "students, teachers, and general readers alike."

I only wish I had had access to a book like this two decades ago!

[JME]

This is an absolutely fantastic resource to turn to when doing literary terms and theory research for upper-level English courses. I used to borrow it from the library so much that I ended up buying it. I refer to it all the time for my English courses to not only further my own knowledge but also to have fantastic definitions or backgrounds on theorists.

[sch]

I've consulted this reference book regularly in the last ten years, and it always entertains and enlightens, and seldom disappoints. It is nearly 1000 pages long. The entry on "novel" takes up 40 pages.

[C.]

I use this every unit to get definitions for the literary terms we use. Thick and filled with everything you could want.

[DoctorM]

An essential reference book. Always there on my desk.