1928-

Each volume provides discussions of the literary and historical background of novels from various cultures and time periods. Includes concise synopses of plot, characters and themes, a brief author biography, discussion of the story's cultural and historical significance, and excerpted criticism.

Features analysis of the plays most frequently studied in literature classes. Entries include: introduction providing overview of play; brief biography of playwright; plot summary; discussion of play's principal themes; understandable essays on play's construction; and excerpted critical commentary.

Presents vital information on the most-studied short stories at the high school and early-college levels. Each entry contains author biography, plot summary, characters, themes, style, historical context, critical overview, and criticism.

Provides in-depth analysis of the life, works, career, and critical importance of Richard Stern.

Provides in-depth analysis of the literary work One Hundred Years of Solitude, as well as its importance and critical reception. Includes a chronology of the life and works of the author.

A memoir in which the Jewish author recalls his life and describes the events that led him to make Vienna--a city with an anti-Semitic legacy--his home.

A biography that follows the lives of Robert McCloskey, creator of 'Make Way for Ducklings,' and sculptor Nancy Sch?n, whose famous bronze ducks grace Boston Public Garden.

"Biologist James Watson and physicist Francis Crick's 1953 revelation about the double helix structure of DNA is the foundation of virtually every advance in our modern understanding of genetics and molecular biology. But how did Watson and Crick do it--and why were they the ones who succeeded? In truth, the discovery of DNA's structure is the story of a race among five scientists for advancement, fame, and immortality: Watson, Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins, and Linus Pauling"--Provided by publisher.

". . . Simon Kuper tells the story of how FC Barcelona became the most successful club in the world--and how that era is now ending"--Provided by publisher.

Provides an introduction and an overview of the author's career and analyses his work.