''Benét's Reader's Encyclopedia'' is a reference work devoted to world literature. The first volume appeared in 1948, edited by
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
-winner
William Rose Benét
William Rose Benét (February 2, 1886 – May 4, 1950) was an American poet, writer, and editor. He was the older brother of Stephen Vincent Benét.
Early life and education
He was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Col. James Walker Benét a ...
, older brother of the writer
Stephen Vincent Benét
Stephen Vincent Benét (; July 22, 1898 – March 13, 1943) was an American poet, short story writer, and novelist. He is best known for his book-length narrative poem of the American Civil War, ''John Brown's Body'' (1928), for which he receive ...
. Benét set out to "present to
he reader
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
a well-organized supplementary memory, in one volume".
The encyclopedia was based on
Ebenezer Cobham Brewer
Ebenezer Cobham Brewer (2 May 1810 in Norwich – 6 March 1897 in Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire), was a British lexicographer and the author of '' A Guide to the Scientific Knowledge of Things Familiar'', ''Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable' ...
's classic ''
Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
''Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable'', sometimes referred to simply as ''Brewer's'', is a reference work containing definitions and explanations of many famous phrases, allusions, and figures, whether historical or mythical.
The "New Edit ...
'', and offered a compendium of curious information (such as "
Aani
In ancient Egyptian religion, Aani is the dog-headed ape sacred to the Egyptian god Thoth. "One of the Egyptian names of the Cynocephalus Baboon, which was sacred to the god Thoth."
The Egyptian hieroglyphic word for "baboon" is '' jꜥnꜥ'' i ...
. In Egyptian mythology, the dog-headed ape sacred to the god
Thoth
Thoth (; from grc-koi, Θώθ ''Thṓth'', borrowed from cop, Ⲑⲱⲟⲩⲧ ''Thōout'', Egyptian: ', the reflex of " eis like the Ibis") is an ancient Egyptian deity. In art, he was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a ...
"). The second edition appeared in 1965, with the addition of new entries, the expansion of old entries, and the addition of illustrations.
More widely available is the third edition, edited by Katherine Baker Siepmann and published in 1987. While this edition no longer mentions such arcane figures as Aani, it offers substantial background on a wide variety of literary figures and increased the international scope of the volume.
Jeppe Aakjaer Jeppe may refer to several articles.
Places
* Jeppe, Johannesburg, South Africa, named after Julius Jeppe; see:
** Jeppestown, Gauteng
** Jeppestown South, Gauteng
** Jeppe High School for Girls
** Jeppe High School for Boys
People
*Jeppe (nam ...
, for instance, appears as a novelist who "was intensely concerned with social misery and the need for reform," though he is "best known" for his "lyric poetry, in which he celebrates the courage of the peasants and the beauties of his native
Jutland
Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...
."
In 1996, the fourth edition of this reference work appeared. The fifth and to date most recent edition was released in December 2008.
See also
*''
Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature ''Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature'' was published in 1991 by Harper Collins Publishers. The book contains facts on American authors' major and lesser works, summarizes the critical consensus, gives biographical information and o ...
''
References
External links
''The Reader's Encyclopedia'' 2nd editionat
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
1948 non-fiction books
Encyclopedias of literature
20th-century encyclopedias
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