The HarperCollins Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature
Worth buying if: You need a direct treatment of its subject.
Skip it if: You want expert-level detail above everything else.
Exact edition: Hardcover · ISBN-13 9780060198152. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
If this page helped you decide, purchasing through the Amazon button above supports UPB Books at no extra cost to you and helps us continue improving the site. Thanks for visiting today.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Affiliate disclosure: purchases made through links on this site may earn us a commission at no additional cost to you.
Summary
The HarperCollins Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature by George B. Perkins is a reference book you can return to when you need an answer. The copy shown here is 2002 • Harpercollins • 1126 pages.
Why this book now
Worth a look if you want something you can consult, sample, and return to instead of reading straight through once.
30-second preview
Two quick cards, fifteen seconds each.
Card 1 of 2
Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- You need a direct treatment of its subject.
- You want a book that does not take long to understand.
- If you like multigenerational sagas, the intimate voice creates trust, drawing you close to a narrator who admits faults and puzzles openly.
Maybe skip if...
- You want expert-level detail above everything else.
- You need a one-sentence answer about whether to buy it.
- If you need comic relief, the timeline jumps between eras and viewpoints without always marking each shift clearly.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Hardcover · ISBN-13 9780060198152
Worth buying if: You need a direct treatment of its subject.
Skip it if: You want expert-level detail above everything else.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Steady Needs some room
Reference-style commitment. Easier to sample in pieces than to read straight through once.
What stands out here
This book is meant to be used more than once, either for practice or to look up an answer.
Best way to approach it
Read the sections you need. You do not have to start at the beginning or read every page in order.
Was this page helpful?
Quick thumbs only. No login.
Loading feedback…
Hardcover: ISBN-13 9780060198152
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.