The Oxford Dictionary of Allusions (Oxford Paperback Reference) Book

The Oxford Dictionary of Allusions provides concise guidance to thousands of references to literature, mythology and the Bible. If you've ever been puzzled by one, it's a good book to have. The allusions are mostly grouped by theme, while a few key subjects are given extended treatment in their own special entries--Adam and Eve, Hercules and The Trojan War, for example. In most cases, the explanation of an allusion's meaning is accompanied by at least one example of its use. In addition, there's a note of guidance at the head of each theme, and there are plenty of cross-references linking related topics. The entry on Heathcliff, for example, is included under the theme "Beauty: male beauty" and declares: "Heathcliff is the passionate gypsy hero of Emily Bronte's romantic novel Wuthering Heights (1847). He has long, dark hair and a rugged, wild attractiveness." Two examples follow. This book will be particularly useful to students, teachers and others whose work requires them to understand references to literature, mythology and the Bible. It is also fascinating to delve into for anyone whose reading brings them across such references. It makes a fit companion to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable and The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, complementing the areas of illumination offered by those two volumes. --David PickeringRead More