This groundbreaking new source of international scope defines the essay as nonfictional prose texts of between one and 50 pages in length. The more than 500 entries by 275 contributors include entries on nationalities, various categories of essays such as generic (such as sermons, aphorisms), individual major works, notable writers, and periodicals that created a market for essays, and particularly famous or significant essays. The preface details the historical development of the essay, and the alphabetically arranged entries usually include biographical sketch, nationality, era, selected writings list, additional readings, and anthologies
This is the first encyclopedia devoted entirely to the essay in all its many forms, from Locke's "Essay Concerning Human Understanding" and Pope's "Essay on Man" in verse to more conventional essays by figures such as Montaigne and Thoreau. International in scope, the work focuses on the last few centuries, since that is when the essay emerged as a literary form. There are entries for genres such as "travel essays," for various national traditions, important periodicals, "especially significant single essays," and individual essayists. The entries are well written and insightful, and include extensive bibliographies; the entries for individuals also include succinct biographical sketches. Most of the contributors are academics with impressive credentials. The volume's general editor, Chevalier, earlier edited the excellent Contemporary Poets (St. James, 1991. 5th ed.) and Twentieth Century Children's Writers (St. James, 1989. 3rd ed.). This is an excellent scholarly book that belongs in any library that supports belles-lettres.?Peter A. Dollard, Alma Coll. Lib., Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
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