Known for his favorite themes of New England and nature, Robert Frost may well be the most famous American poet of the 20th century. His classic works include the poems "The Road Not Taken," "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," "The Death of the Hired Man," and many more. "Critical Companion to Robert Frost" is an encyclopedic guide to the life and works of this great American poet. This accessible volume combines extensive critical analysis with in-depth information on Frost's life, providing a one-stop resource for students.

Best known for his works "The Waste Land", "Four Quartets", and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," T.S. Eliot is one of the most popular 20th-century poets studied in high school and college English classes today. Eliot's masterful use of classical allusions throughout his works demonstrates the great importance he placed on tradition and its place within literary history. Believing that the fragments of a once-great culture surrounded the modern world through literature, he used his writing to recreate the past through tradition.

Since the publication of Tortilla Flat in 1935, Steinbeck's treatment of American landscapes and themes has struck a chord with readers. His novels Of Mice and Men (1937), The Grapes of Wrath (1939), and Cannery Row (1945) were instant critical and popular successes. Each went on to become a feature film, which added to Steinbeck's cultural impact. His works have long endured to earn a place in the canon of American Literature. This book guides readers through these and other important Steinbeck works, particularly those that are most often taught, including The Pearl (1945), The Red Pony (1933), and significant short fiction.

Jane Austen has been one of the world's most popular writers for 200 years and is best known for her works "Pride and Prejudice", "Emma", and "Sense and Sensibility". Taught in high school and college classes across the country and appealing to both scholars and general readers, her novels, many of which have been adapted into popular films, continue to be best sellers today."Critical Companion to Jane Austen" examines her life and works, and includes critical analyses of the themes within her writing, as well as entries on related topics and relevant people, places, and influences.

The aim of this set is to spotlight some 400 works that have been censored, banned, or condemned because of their political, social, religious, or sexual content. The entries, which include a summary, censorship history, and brief bibliography, range widely from Aristotle through Galileo and on up to Adolf Hitler and Judy Blume. Such well-known prohibited works as de Sade's 120 Days of Sodom, the Communist Manifesto, and Huckleberry Finn are included here, but so are many other works that are now less controversial, e.g., Milton's Areopagitica and Uncle Tom's Cabin.