Book of the Week

Literature and Its Times 
Moss, Joyce ed., Wilson, George ed.
Detroit, MI: Gale, 1997.
Call Number: Reference Section PN 50 L574 1997 vol 1-5

It may seem funny to recommend a reference source from 1997, but trust me this one is worth it.

This 5 volume set looks at works of literature through the lens of the times they were written in. The volumes are arranged along a timeline and cover works from Euripides in 1400 B.C.E through Margaret Atwood in 2000. Each volume has a timeline that shows events of the era and the works that overlap those events.

You may think you know all there is to know about The Crucible, or Ethan Frome but believe me there is more to learn! Did you know that post-partum depression was a major influence on Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper all the way back in 1892?

There are 300 pieces of literature covered in this set. The next time you are looking to dig a bit deeper into literature be sure to take a look at Literature and Its Times on the shelves in the Reference collection.

Review by Sarah Way, SWC Librarian