Contains analyses of characters that appear in novels, plays, epics, and other classics of world literature, providing lengthy descriptions of central characters, and less extensive discussions of supporting players; and arranged alphabetically by title.

This comprehensive edition combines the characters profiled in the first three editions of Cyclopedia of Literary Characters (1963, 1990, 1998) along with brand new coverage of characters that appeared in works of fiction published between 2000 and 2012. This series offers readers the opportunity to become familiar with both famous and less well-known personalities from classic fiction. These character descriptions can be used alone to begin researching character development and motivation in a novel. They also can be used as a starting place for analysing an epic play or novel and its author's writing style and technique. Articles are arranged alphabetically by book title and begin with ready-reference top matter information about the author and the book, including each book's title, foreign title if originally published in a language other than English, author's name with birth and death years, date of first publication, genre, locale, time of action, and plot type. The characters are arranged by order of importance within each article. The central or key characters receive lengthy descriptions; supporting and minor figures receive less extensive treatment. Books by a given author that commonly are studied together are treated in a single article, allowing the user to study character development across the books. Heavily cross-referenced indexes allow easy access to all title covered. Pronunciation guides are provided for character names that are most likely to be mispronounced. Three indexes are found at the back of volume 5, and are designed to help the user more readily access the text. First, there is a complete list of titles, including cross-references. Second, an Author Index lists titles by author; again cross-references are included. Finally, the alphabetical Character Index lists the more than 29,000 characters described, using last names if those appear in the original works, or using first names or descriptions. The Character Index is a valuable aid in locating the author and work or works with which a particular character is associated. - Amazon

"This 'edition combines the characters profiled in Cyclopedias of Literary Characters (1963) and Literary Characters II (1990). It also includes all characters that appeared in more recent works of Masterplots II published through 1995.' Publisher's Note. 'Entries are arranged alphabetically by the title of the work ... [They] begin with the book's title, foreign title if originally published in a language other than English, author's name with birth and death years, date of first publication, genre, locale, time of action, and plot type. Characters are arranged in order of importance; major characters have 100- to 150-word write-ups. Volume 5 contains three indexes: title, author, and character.'" Booklist.

“The characters in Dhaliwal’s stories sparkle. They’re tenderly rendered and their problems are real... The struggle of the cyclops unfolds in metaphors for race, sexuality, gender, and disability, tangling with ideas about fetishization, interracial relationships, passing, and representation.“—Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream House Following the critical and popular success of Woman World—the hit Instagram comic which appeared on 25 best of lists—Aminder Dhaliwal returns with Cyclopedia Exotica. Also serialized on instagram to her 250,000 followers, this graphic novel showcases Dhaliwal’s quick wit and astute socio-cultural criticism. In Cyclopedia Exotica, doctor’s office waiting rooms, commercials, dog parks, and dating app screenshots capture the experiences and interior lives of the cyclops community; a largely immigrant population displaying physical differences from the majority. Whether they’re artists, parents, or yoga students, the cyclops have it tough: they face microaggressions and overt xenophobia on a daily basis. However, they are bent on finding love, cultivating community, and navigating life alongside the two-eyed majority with patience and the occasional bout of rage. Through this parallel universe, Dhaliwal comments on race, difference, beauty, and belonging, touching on all of these issues with her distinctive deadpan humour steeped in millennial references. Cyclopedia Exotica is a triumph of hilarious candor.

Presents entries arranged alphabetically by title that analyze the use of place in over 1,300 literary works.

Identifies hundreds of characters from notable works of British fiction, from The Pilgrim's Progress to contemporary novels