At Home He's a Tourist

He fills his head with culture/ He gives himself an ulcer.

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Book Reviews

Expensive, but with these reviews I decided to go ahead and get it. I have to admit I've never read the Brontes, unless listening to Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" counts.

Alexander, Christine and Margaret Smith. The Oxford Companion to the Brontes. $95.

Library Journal: “thoroughly detailed and compellingly useful…All libraries will want to own this beautifully bound and in-depth companion to the Brontes, which is essential reading for devotees.” Bronte Studies: “We must celebrate this book, not just for its rigour and intelligence, but also because it is a terrific read. To anyone with more than a passing interest in the Brontes there is an inexhaustible mine of information and pleasure here. As a memory-jogger, horizon-opener, or sheer indulgence, the Companion deserves the large readership that a paperback edition will surely give it.” Choice: “Highly detailed, extremely comprehensive survey. One need not know much about the Brontes to find this book useful and informative, but it is detailed enough to appeal to scholars. Because of the depth and breadth of the book’s coverage, it displaces all other companions to the Brontes. Essential.” Booklist: “This excellent guide is the most comprehensive and scholarly reference companion to the Brontes now available. It is highly recommended for all academic libraries and larger public libraries.”