Book Description
First published in 1957, A GLOSSARY OF LITERARY TERMS contains succinct essays on the terms used in discussing literature, literary history, and literary criticism. This text is an indispensable reference for students.
Customer Reviews:
Still simply the best.......2007-09-24
Abrams, accomplished scholar and critic, has created a monument for himself and the best, most reliable, and concise glossary of literary terms. Opening up the recent trends, but not as trends, as developments from within established scholarship and literary science. This glossary is special, with a good index of terms, one for authors, and dense, usable, clearly written articles with further reading, its form is unchanged since it first appeared in 1957. The 8th edition I purchased opens with the Absurd and closes with Wit, Humor, and the Comic. The articles are articles, not just key terms defined, but developments traced and contextualized. This is no replacement for an encyclopedia of literature or an Oxford Companion, but a vital tool next to these. None of us can keep every term in mind, and this is a serious book to help our feeble minds, for which we should be grateful and which delivers bang for the buck.
nice explanations.......2006-04-11
Abrams supplies very nicely written explanations of many terms you are likely to come across in literature, or more specifically, in literary studies. If you have puzzled over an "objective correlative", then he explains that it wasn't due to TS Eliot, as many believe, but to Allston. Though Eliot was the one responsible for popularising the term. Or, if you want to use "doggerel" properly when deconstructing some Bukowski poem, perhaps check Abrams first.
Beware Beware!.......2006-03-29
The reader who complains that the 8th edition is radically different from previous editions with respect to the definitions of literary terms such as sonnet and ode is entirely mistaken. The entries on these and other terms are either unchanged from earlier editions or improved and updated. Moreover, a number of new terms have been added.
Essential for Lovers of Literature.......2005-11-17
Every student of literature should have their own copy of this book. Non-students would get a lot out of this too. And while the price might appear excessive, I think in the long-term this book is a worthwhile investment. What makes this guide of literary terms different from others, is its comprehensiveness. Abrams goes into great detail on the important terms that one comes across most often in literature. There is information on theories and movements in criticism and terms such as modernism and post modernism, are clearly defined. there is also material on symbolism, metaphor and other figures of speech and so on. A Glossary of Literary Terms, now in its 8th edition, is written in a lucid style, and is a must buy for anyone who wants to expand their literary horizons. Recommended. 5 stars.
Review of M.H. Abrams' Glossary of Literary Terms.......2005-01-03
This is a very well-researched encyclopedia covering almost any literary term that comes to mind. Try it, look up the term as if using a dictionary and one finds a clearly written paragraph, if not essay, that explains it all. It also provides links that can point the reader in different directions. In the event of literary jargon overload, there is no better treatment currently available.
As a student, this is an essential reference for me, but it is also something that I would want to keep forever as I think it would be very difficult to find such a useful, interesting and intellectually credible/incredible guide to literary terms. As a future teacher I look forward to using this book for many years to come.
Amazon.com
Those who find their equanimity challenged by the lucubrations of William F. Buckley Jr. will surely see their torpor evanesce after reading The Lexicon. Monosyllabically: if it bugs you when you read words you don't know, this book will help. Buckley is renowned (and sometimes unfairly reviled) for his extensive working vocabulary, from which he unerringly picks the right word for every occasion. The Lexicon is a pocket guide to his esoterica with several hundred entries, each concisely defined and accompanied by an example of its use from his writings, which is quite a handy feature. For example:
lucubrate (verb) To discourse learnedly in writing.
Under the Eisenhower program, one could lucubrate over constitutional rights and freedoms and forever abandon captured American soldiers.
It is a sign of his skill as a writer that the book may be read for pleasure. Illustrations by Arnold Roth add to the enjoyment, making this the perfect introduction to Buckleyian erudition. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
This boon to logophiles, culled from Buckley: The Right Word, presents the author’s most erudite, outré, and interesting words - from prehensile and sciolist to rubric and histrionic - complete with definitions, examples, and usage notes. Introduction by Jesse Sheidlower; illustrations by Arnold Roth.
Customer Reviews:
A Real Treasure.......2005-07-06
This witty, neat little book is the perfect gift for word-lovers of all ages. I am a college professor, and a published author, and this book has really helped me in my writing. If only I could speak as well as Buckley does...
utterly usable,licentious miscibles of miso-communist.......2001-09-08
Buckley has fashioned yet another utterly usable list stoppage, badinage of detritus waiting in abeyance for the vagaries of postmodernities force fields to scour through yet another product emanation from an impeccable vainglorious watchdog for the Ruling Classes. The predictable augurs,tail wagging, arbiter elegantiae, his indolence doesn't quite proceed to the corruptible USA Senators. We have provincial sentence examples of humorous references to the rogues gallery of the communist world but his spleen venting abruptly halts itself at the shores of the Potomac. I can see/envisioned Buckley's upbeat brow turned upwards,ad spasmistaie towards the heavens,fully content with his own conceit, his odious animus against all that doesn't strike,agree,conspire congruently with capitalistic content,its resonant free world peel of greed bells.
Word of the Day Webmaster Cautiously Recommends.......2001-07-30
When it comes to the English language William F. Buckley is an epicurean extraordinaire and "The Lexicon" is a must for any committed logophile. Still a few caveats must be undulated
Some of the words included are as quizzical as some of those that are omitted. Alphabetically, the reference runs from "abattoir" to "xenophobia"--which seems a strange place to stop. Why there is no inclusion of "yokefellow" or "yaw" nor "zaftig" or "zeitgeist" is enigmatic at best. A second anomaly is that certain definitions differ from what is found my copy of "Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary." Mr. Buckley identifies "promulgate" as "to issue a new law or regulation;" Webster's definition says "to make known by open declaration...(or) to set forth or teach publicly." For "synecdoche" Mr. Buckley offers "the single example in place of the whole; the one for the many." Webster is more encompassing with "a figure of speech in which the part is used for the whole or the whole for a part." Webster's says that "kedge" means "to wrap or pull...(or) a small anchor," while Buckley's related but contrasting explanation reads "to anchor securely." As with ALL vocabulary sources, check the definition in a dictionary before using the word!
While not terribly detrimental Mr. Buckley pleonastically includes more than one form of several words. The use of both "intrinsic" and "intrinsically," "mollify" and mollifying," "invidious" and "invidiously," "stultification and stultifying" among many other double versions comes across as a rebarbative padding device--completely unnecessary in a collection this tumescent.
While the incorporation of words such as "salient," "levity," "obtrude," "junket" and a handful of other less than exotic choices is debatable, the assumption that some readers will be unacquainted with them is not quixotic. However, selecting "plainspoken" for placement within such a gallimaufry is truly outlandish. It seems highly doubtful that anyone unfamiliar with such a quotidian word would have the need for such an abstruse vocabulary primer.
Despite these minor to moderate drawbacks, this book is unreservedly recommended for those interested in elevating their speaking prowess. For three years I have been operating a "Word of the Day" email service/webpage (sent me a message if you wish to join) and "The Lexicon" boasted a plethora of specimens that I had never before encountered. So while all my above comments are valid, they are nugatory distractions compared to the numinous lagniappes that can be acquired from a perusal or two.
Fantastic book for word lovers.......2000-07-25
This is THE book to have if you love English. There are wonderful examples of each word included. It's nice little size make it easy to take with you. The only reason it didn't get five stars from me is that it lacks the pronunciation of each word. Some you can guess, others, well, you better have a good dictionary on hand!
Amazon.com
The Bedford Glossary includes lengthy (and easy-to-follow) discussions of ideas including such biggies as cultural studies, deconstruction, feminist criticism, gender criticism, irony, Marxist criticism, the new historicism, poststructuralism, psychological criticism and psychoanalytic criticism, and reader-response criticism. More obscure terms--anagnorisis, epithalamium, Menippean satire, kenning--receive shorter but equally careful treatment. This is a clear and comprehensive reference for academics, intellectuals, and anyone else who wants to hold forth intelligently on subjects literary and critical. --Jane Steinberg
Customer Reviews:
in·dis·pens·a·ble! .......2005-08-03
This book is a must for grad students and advanced undergrads interested in literary studies -- I highly recommend it! It's better priced than other comparable books & better written.
Offers far more depth than its title suggests.......2003-06-01
Yes, this is an excellent glossary of terms. It is also much more. Within these 420 pages, the authors have taken time and space to explore in depth the significance of varied approaches to literary analysis and scholarship.
The confusing and politicized nature of 20th Century literary criticism is served well in Murphin & Ray's clear and even-handed explication of various schools and styles. I think that new initiates to literary studies will appreciate the lengthy analyses given to critical schools/styles ( from aestheticism and close reading... to new historicism and 'theory' ). I find that this humbly titled "glossary" offers clearer and fairer insights into of these stormy academic seas that most books claiming "Intro to Criticism" in their titles.
This is a great reference volume for literature students. My only disappointment was the lack of references, and of suggestions for reading in more depth (other than in-passing mention of authors' names and occasional book titles), but that of course would have taken this volume further beyond the class of mere "glossary".
Still, in summary: indispensable - unsurpassed!
comprehensive and lucid.......1999-12-02
This glossary is one of the best I have seen, combining both exhaustive and detailed enteries as well as a wide range of coverage. Literary periods from Old English to the Postmodern are discussed in detail - the article on postmodernism is almost six pages. Critical approaches such as structralism and postcolonialism are lucidly presented. Literary trends and tropes are explained with illustrative examples. Crossrefrencing is particularly very useful. All this makes this glossary a good study aid for both literary students and scholars.
Average customer rating:
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An Illustrated Dictionary of Little-Known Words from Literary Classics
Mary Ellen Snodgrass
Manufacturer: ABC-Clio Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Literary Theory
| History & Criticism
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English (All)
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ASIN: 087436809X |
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A Glossary of Sufi Technical Terms
Abd al-Razzaq al-Qashani ,
Nabil Safwat , and
David Pendlebury
Manufacturer: Octagon Press, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Literature
| Encyclopedias
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Reference
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ASIN: 0863040322 |
Book Description
This is the first accessible English translation from the Arabic of a book that has been required reading in Sufi circles for more than six centuries. Nabil Safwat and David Pendlebury worked on the project for more than three years at the behest of the Sufi Trust. With a new index to the English text, copious notes and a facsimile version of the original Arabic text, this work is intended for the serious student.
Average customer rating:
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A Glossary of Literary Terms
Manufacturer: Holt, Rinehart and Winston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GR7FUK |
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|
Critical Terms for Science Fiction and Fantasy: A Glossary and Guide to Scholarship
Gary K. Wolfe
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Literary Theory
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Wolfe, Gary K.
| ( W )
| Authors, A-Z
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ASIN: 0313229813 |
Book Description
"The critical vocabulary of the mainstream often give short shrift to the fantastic, and scholars of the fantastic have often had to look elsewhere for their critical termionology. Such scholars will find Wolfe's work an excellent resource." Choice
Average customer rating:
- invaluable for students and lay readers alike
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A Concise Glossary of Contemporary Literary Theory
Jeremy Hawthorn
Manufacturer: A Hodder Arnold Publication
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0340692227 |
Book Description
Taking words from a variety of sources, and from a range of different languages and cultures, it is little wonder that contemporary literary theory poses peculiar difficulties of usage and understanding. This third edition of Hawthorn's acclaimed glossary contains a host of new terms, revises
many of the previous entries (sometimes very substantially), and includes both an expanded bibliography and detailed recommendations for further reading.
Customer Reviews:
invaluable for students and lay readers alike.......1999-03-24
I have used A Concise Glossary of Contemporary Literary Theory in my upper level literatue courses at the University of Houston-Downtown for several years. My students find it invaluable and less confusing than other texts of the same type. Mr. Hawthorn covers all the important literary terms with a thorough and engaging approach. I recommend this book to anyone interest in reading about or teach contemporary literature. I only wish his other books on literary criticism were still available.
Book Description
Prepare for the Oracle Certified Professional Oracle Database 10g New Features for Administrators exam with help from this exclusive Oracle Press guide. Get complete coverage of all topics on the upgrade exam, including installation, configuration, application tuning, database management, backup and recovery, security, and more. In each chapter, you’ll find examples, practice questions, lab questions, a two-minute drill, and a chapter summary to highlight what you’ve learned. This book and CD-ROM package is the most comprehensive preparation tool available for this OCP exam.
Customer Reviews:
I failed the exam by reading this book.......2007-01-10
Not to blame the book as the reason I failed, I realized when I went to the testing room, there are alot of items that this book doesn't cover. I recommend you read some other books for your upgrade exam.
Good book.......2006-04-28
This is the only guide you need to pass the exam. It may not have the depth, but it covered the objectives well.
Then again, what kind of depth does one require for ASM? I've not seen it in use yet here.
10g Certification.......2005-12-07
If you are planning on taking the Oracle 10g upgrade exam this is the book I used to take the test, and I passed. A few questions on the test on nowhere to be found in the book and that could be because they are new questions or something along those lines. The practice exams are ok and may be a bit easier than the questions on the exam. I looked at some other publishers for Oracle exams and I say Sybex are the ones I am most comfortable with. I purchased this book and scheduled the exam for 6 weeks out. If I would have failed I would have blamed the book :)
As a reference book you will need additional sources as this book focuses on the Oracle exam. Good luck with the exam.
Typos, contradictions and poorly worded questions........2005-11-22
I just finished passing the test. I admit this guide helped me study for the test. The guide was well organized and covered the topics in enough depth. The writing was good. However, the typos, mispellings, contradictions, poorly worded questions and just plain bad sample questions and examples were annoying. The sample tests provided by the book were okay, but had typos and problems too. The end of chapter tests had several problems: some questions were poorly phrased or the answers contradicted the main text of the book.
I marginally recommend the guide, but you need another reference. I used the Oracle online documentation constantly to double-check the facts. My advice is buy the guide because it is well organized, but you need to be careful and double-check syntax and the facts.
Good book but lacking is several areas........2005-11-21
I also found the book poorly edited, but unlike some of the previous posters, I found many questions on my exam not covered or syntactically incompatible. After the exam, I wrote down 15 or 16 questions I remembered...and only a few of them were actually in the book. I also felt that several sujbects (REGEXP comes to mind) were poorly explained, and several --UTL_MAIL only had one small paragraph in the book and guess what? My exam had a detailed question on it. I had questions on what is the default User's Tablespace out of the box (Example or User?) and I knew my laptop's 10g database had Example...but did the book discuss this? If so, I didn't see it. There was a question about sending a compressed backup across a network if there wasn't a great amount of band width, or if you have a lot of B-Files... did I miss that? Or, what ASM controlled database init parms are ignored if used. I found the chapter questions full of enough inconsistancies to confuse me...and I had to resort to internet searches to try and find out which statement was in error.
I admit that I am probably not the typical exam-taker...I am the only software person on a 9i database, and only loaded 10g on my laptop for the exam, so I didn't have a working database to play with. Furthermore, my shop isn't typical in that it is pretty much out of the box canned software. And we don't use many of the advanced features of Oracle. But I do expect the subjects needed to be covered and highlighted in the study guide. I could answer every question correctly on the 2 test exams provided by this book, and answer every chapter question correctly...as well as get 100% on the Self Test software. And I failed the exam by 3 questions. I feel like I understood most, if not all, of the concepts covered by the book. I figure I will purchase Sybex's book and re-take the exam in December or January.
Book Description
Here's the book you need to prepare for Oracle's 10g upgrade exam, Oracle Database 10g: New Features for Administrators (1Z0-040). This Study Guide was developed to meet the exacting requirements of today's Oracle certification candidates. In addition to the consistent and accessible instructional approach that has earned Sybex the "Best Study Guide" selection in CertCities Readers Choice Awards for two consecutive years, this book provides:
- Clear and concise information on the enhancements included in Oracle 10g
- Practical examples and insights drawn from the authors' real-world experiences
- Leading-edge exam preparation software, including a test engine and electronic flashcards
You'll also find authoritative coverage of key exam topics, including:
- Installing and Configuring the Server
- Loading and Unloading Data
- Tuning Applications
- Supporting Analytical Applications
- Backing Up and Recovering Data
- Automating Data Storage Management
- Applying Security Policies
- Supporting Upgrade Paths to Oracle 10g
Look to Sybex for the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in today's competitive IT marketplace.
Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.
Customer Reviews:
Not quite enough.......2007-08-16
I've used Sybex's study guides for my 9i OCP qual and found them to be ok. As a DBA working closely with 9i and 10g databases, I assumed this 10g New Features guide would round out my practical experience and help me pass this exam first time. Turns out that I was wrong. This book contains more errors than it should, is contradictory or ambiguous in places, and is not comprehensive enough to pass the exam - although you might get lucky I guess (I was short by 1 question, but luck shouldn't play a part in certification!). To be fair to the book, I also think that some of the questions in the exam itself are needlessly ambiguous and obfuscating, so I'm disappointed with Oracle too! I have copies of Sybex's DBA I and II guides, which will possibly be helpful on my resit.
A good book.......2007-05-06
I used it to pass my DBA OCP exam. There are a few errors in the book, but that is to be expected. You have to learn everything to be prepared for the exam. It is also wise to get a second book so you can track omissions in this books by answering all the questions and sample exams in the other book.
Buyer Beware - Check Your Facts Before You Take Your Exam!.......2007-03-17
I passed my 10g OCP upgrade exam using this book, together with the 10g New Features book (Oracle Press), the 10g DBA Handbook (Oracle Press), the Oracle documentation, an actual 10g database (several in fact), the Self Help Software practice test and, just for fun, the PrepLogic Audio Training CDs. Having been an Oracle DBA for nearly 17 years, my motivation to take the OCP exams is not just to pass. It's to get as close to 100% as I can. That being the case, I am very careful with my studies and take my time working through every single subject area, frequently building actual working examples of the new features.
Passing my 10g OCP upgrade exam had more to do with my thoroughness than it had to do with this book. I prefer to use a published study guide in conjunction with the Exam Topics published by Oracle. Starting with my 7.3 certification, I have always used the Oracle Press exam study guides, but decided to switch to this Sybex title due to the number of errors and pieces of misinformation I was finding in the Oracle Press books. However, I was appalled to find this title to be as bad, if not worse, than the Oracle Press 9i upgrade book.
I accept that writing a technical (exam prep) book is a difficult undertaking, but there is absolutely no excuse for getting published syntax wrong. By way of example, p367 states the RMAN command to specify a duration for a backup is:
RMAN> backup tablespace users duration 2:00;
WRONG! Try it and you'll see the RMAN syntax error message. It is in fact:
RMAN> backup duration 2:00 tablespace users;
Chapter 4 Q11 asks about the main differences between COPY_FILE and PUT_FILE. The given answer includes the option which states PUT_FILE requires a destination server name. WRONG! It requires a database link to know how to connect to a destination server, but to say PUT_FILE itself "requires" a server name, i.e. as one of its parameters is clearly not true. A question in one of the bonus exams makes reference to a Resource Manager parameter called MAX_IDLE_BLOCK_TIME. WRONG! It's actually called MAX_IDLE_BLOCKER_TIME.
Whilst on the subject of the tests found on the book's CD, I found several questions that were worded in a very obscure way or that asked for a level of extreme detail that was simply unrealistic. There were even questions where you had to choose 2 answers from 4, but the answer selection method was a radio button, not check boxes, so you could only choose one answer! Also many questions asked about subjects or aspects of subjects that were not covered in the book itself!
Nit picking? I don't think so. These are important details and the further I got into this book, the less I trusted it. Second guessing what you read in a study guide is not ideal exam preparation. The icing on the cake was several questions on the actual exam which were not covered by any of my preparation materials, but that always happens and I like to think that's just Oracle's sense of humor! :-)
Bottom line is, anyone giving this book maximum stars and high praise could not have read it carefully enough. Personally, I'll be switching back to the Oracle Press book for 11g unless another option presents itself. If you use this book as your primary study guide, be very careful and double check often with hands on practice and reference to the Oracle documentation.
Good luck with your studies.
Useless!.......2007-01-24
After taking the exam three times using this book, I finally realized that the book was missing a lot of information that was on the actual exam. It is poorly written, and the examples are poorly illustrated. If you want to pass the exam on the first try, I do not recommend this book! The CD software that came bundled with this book did not reflect the questions on the actual exam(?) The authors of this book need to head back to the drawing board and start all over again. What a waste of time and money....
Will do the job.......2006-07-03
This book will definitely teach you the new features in 10g and prepare you for the exam. The material definitely covered the test areas well, although often there are mistakes in the text and questions. The online tests and flashcards are very useful and (good or bad) provide additional information that the book does not cover.
After doing 9i using the Oracle Press books I believe I will continue with this series when the next release comes out.
Books:
- A Kant Dictionary (The Blackwell Philosopher Dictionaries)
- ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary: Alphabetically Based Computerized (ABC Chinese Dictionary Series)
- Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing, The (4th Edition) (MyCompLab Series)
- Along These Lines: Writing Paragraphs and Essays, Third Edition
- Always a People: Oral Histories of Contemporary Woodland Indians
- Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology
- Be Heard Now!
- Berlitz Danish-English Dictionary (Berlitz Bilingual Dictionaries)
- Berlitz German Vocabulary Handbook (Berlitz Guides)
- Berlitz Latin American Spanish Phrase Book
Books Index
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A Handbook to Literature (Handbook to Literature)
Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition
The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory (Penguin Dictionary)
Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice
