The Pocket Guide to Classic Books

By Kieran Hughes

Everything you need to know about classic literature in one handy guide by lecturer Maureen Hughes. Covering everything from the authors to the plays themselves and their common themes, accessibility is a key selling point with factboxes highlighting key or curious facts about the subject. Its size makes it the perfect stocking filler for the Christmas market or at anytime of the year for those wanting more information about what they’re reading or studying – in a handy, pocket-sized guide.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pen and Sword
• Release date: Jun 19, 2010
• ISBN: 9781844687282

Kieran Hughes

Kieran, son of Maureen, was born in Liverpool, spent his childhood in Shrewsbury, then spent the first part of his life in London, as a journalist and newsreader on BBC and commercial radio. By his late thirties he had started university to study for two degrees and teacher training. His Mum had persuaded him that he would make a good teacher! Kieran now teaches history full-time at a school in High Wycombe. He has four sons, seven grandchildren and lives with his wife Bridget near the town centre.

Reviews for The Pocket Guide to Classic Books

[james_patrick_joyce · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Pro: covers a vast amount of data.
Con: very minimal info for most entries.

Nearly all info is provided in point-form lists. A good source book, if you want to get a feeling for Western literature, from Chaucer to the 20th century. Various sections ("Literary Giants", "Classic Books For Children", etc), various types of information (character lists, popular authors by century, information about norms in each century, etc).

Some deeper information is provided, in the "Literary Giants" section, about Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, and Charles Dickens.

Overall, well-worth having a copy, for the occasional value it will provide. Kind of like a hard-copy-internet, for classic writers and their works. My only complaint would be the amount of detail, but then a detailed book covering this much would actually be an Encyclopedia set, so... I guess I won't complain, after all.