Glossary of Literary Terms - M.H.Abrams > Reviews > From the absurd to the comic

Author's product rating:   

Degree of Information	Very high
How interesting was the book?	Interesting because I'm interested in that subject
How useful was it?	Indispensable
Would you read it again?	Yes
Value for money	Good

Advantages:	exteemly useful book
Disadvantages:	interest specific

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

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, all terms having been reviewed and updated.
The book is 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 is impossible in the space of this opinion to express the scope of this book, it covers so much. Other exaples of terms explained include (taken at random) alliteration,comic relief,epic similies,melodrama,novel(the),poststructuralism and many many more. This is why i think it is a useful book to anybody with an interest in English and English literature.
Obviously this is a book that is meant to be dipped into rather than read cover to cover and to aid this there are two very useful index;one of authors mentioned/discussed and one of terms themselves.
This book was recommended to me by an English tutor for a module on literary criticism but i have used it in four essays and an exam so far as well as to help me explain terms such as comic relief to one of my children. I can't remember what it cost me but i remember it wasnt cheap but it has proved value for money.