ers with wide critical attention-- Toni Morrison, John Irving, and Maya
Angelou, for example--to extend the usefulness of the series.

The volumes in the series are written by scholars with particular ex-
pertise in analyzing popular fiction. These specialists add an academic
focus to the popular success that these writers already enjoy.

The series is designed to appeal to a wide range of readers. The general
reading public will find explanations for the appeal of these well-known
writers. Fans will find biographical and fictional questions answered.
Students will find literary analysis, discussions of fictional genres, care-
fully organized introductions to new ways of reading the novels, and
bibliographies for additional research. Whether browsing through the
book for pleasure or using it for an assignment, readers will find that
the most recent novels of the authors are included.

Each volume begins with a biographical chapter drawing on published
information, autobiographies or memoirs, prior interviews, and, in some
cases, interviews given especially for this series. A chapter on literary
history and genres describes how the author's work fits into a larger
literary context. The following chapters analyze the writer's most im-
portant, most popular, and most recent novels in detail. Each chapter
focuses on one or more novels. This approach, suggested by the Advi-
sory Board as the most useful to student research, allows for an in-depth
analysis of the writer's fiction. Close and careful readings with numerous
examples show readers exactly how the novels work. These chapters are
organized around three central elements: plot development (how the
story line moves forward), character development (what the reader
knows of the important figures), and theme (the significant ideas of the
novel). Chapters may also include sections on generic conventions (how
the novel is similar to or different from others in its same category of
science, fantasy, thriller, etc.), narrative point of view (who tells the story
and how), symbols and literary language, and historical or social context.
Each chapter ends with an "alternative reading" of the novel. The vol-
ume concludes with a primary and secondary bibliography, including
reviews.

The alternative readings are a unique feature of this series. By dem-
onstrating a particular way of reading each novel, they provide a clear
example of how a specific perspective can reveal important aspects of
the book. In the alternative reading sections, one contemporary literary
theory--way of reading, such as feminist criticism, Marxism, new his-
toricism, deconstruction, or Jungian psychological critique--is defined in
brief, easily comprehensible language. That definition is then applied to

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