Arts & Music Books > Literary Criticism & Theory Arts & Music Books > 15 GBP to 19 GBP

Advantages: A very comprehensive overview
Disadvantages: Sometimes not detailed enough

...been updated on several occasions. The main focus of the alphabetical listing is writers and their major works. Writers of course include authors, playwrights and poets. Shakespeare is afforded two and a half pages, which must be one of the longest entries. (Milton's is comparable.) Within the entry for any writer, an asterisk next to the title of a work or the name of another writer indicates a separate entry where more detail can be found. So, ...
...are entries for example on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, war poetry, the literature of food and major characters of works. I have come across the composer Delius and the painter Gainsborough, as well as various pseudonyms. Even theatres are included here, as are libraries, both academic and public. I have used this book with a pupil as young as twelve, who comes to me for one-to-one tuition. He was recently asked to find out what connections certain ... Read review

Advantages: exteemly useful book
Disadvantages: interest specific

This may seem like an obscure book to write an opinion on but i think it is a very useful book that people should know about. It was originally intended for undergraduate English students but would be very useful to anyone studying English and/or English Literature, indeed anyone with an interest in these subjects. It is very accessable and easy to read. Originally published in 1957, my copy is the seventh (and most recent, published in 1999)edition, ...
...an A-Z (A-W actually) of literary terms beginning with "Absurd, the literature of" and ending 330 pages later with "Wit,Humor(sic)and the comic". It covers many, many literary terms from single definitions (e.g."poetic justice" and "ivory tower") which can be from a few lines to half a page long, through lterary terms (e.g. "Ode" and "myth") up to summaries of complete lierary theories ('New Historicism' and 'Queer theory'to name but two examples).It ... Read review

Advantages: hugely informative, overwhelming amounts of knowledge
Disadvantages: can be confusing at first, book is written in fragmented format

...the subject can change (by performing the change on you). Tricks Of The Mind is an incredibly enjoyable and informative education read and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the world of the human mind, beliefs and expectation, hypnosis and NLP, body language and psychic abilities. ... Read review

Advantages: Everything you could ever want to know
Disadvantages: Slightly upsetting in places

This is quite a significant book to me. I grew up listening to Thin Lizzy and being Irish, my whole family was totally in love with their music. Phil Lynott was such a complex character I felt I owed it to him to read this book, just to prove that there was more to him than just the drugs. I learnt so much about him and the band that at points I felt I knew them. It was strange to think that if only Phil had stopped the drugs, he'd still be here. ...
...gives us all the gory details of his life, it tells tales of Phils hilariously flirtatious character, his obsession with music and showed us what a loving father he was and how much he loved being a father. Last year I had the privelige of meeting his son and I felt like I knew everything about his father and he knew so little (he had only just found otu Phil was his father due to Phil giving him away because of his religion). It was amazing, it ... Read review

Advantages: really interesting book, very inspirational
Disadvantages: may not suit young children and specific to certain intrests

This book is very inspirational and after reading it fills your mind with ideas and creation. I bought this book not long ago and since i haven't put it down. I call it a book but to me its more like a gallery. Banksy expresses very political views by doing stencil art in some of the main cities of the u.k such as London and Liverpool. This book simply takes you on a journey through his work. The book documents his work in gallery's and current projects ... Read review