Posted 14 November 2005

Despite its title, American Literature: The Essential Glossary is less a glossary of literature and more a list of terms that can be found within American literature. Matterson explains his choices and the aims of this book in the introduction, careful to indicate several times that The Glossary is a means to further study, rather than the end result.

The title is therefore slightly misleading, but the Glossary does fulfil Matterson’s stated purpose of providing a reliable reference guide on traditions and events that typically feature within American literature. Written in an easily accessible style that clearly indicates areas for further study, this book is undoubtedly aimed at students of literature who have little to no knowledge of American history or culture. The choices he has made do seem somewhat incongruous, however. Entries include an item on alcoholism comprising of a list of American authors who were alcoholics and many entries on magazines and journals such as the Union Magazine of Literature and Art which, we are told, published contributions from authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Henry David Thoreau and very little other information. Of course, there are plenty of other books which trace American literature, so perhaps it is just as well that Matterson’s book highlights other, less easily recognisable aspects of the field; though how far this knowledge would stretch for commonly assigned A-level texts is debatable. Matterson makes no pretence to be providing an exhaustive list (the Vietnam War for example takes up two paragraphs) and his approach of intermingling historical data and literary definitions does reflect the intrinsic interdisciplinary nature of American Studies.

American Literature: An Essential Glossary is therefore an adequate guide for A-level students reading American texts who may come across reference to the Jim Crow laws and need to seek out a brief description, so that they understand the vague concept behind it, but it would be of little help for an in-depth analysis of the subject. The Biography does appear extensive, though, and would perhaps be a better resource than the Glossary as a whole for A-level students. Overall, a satisfactory textbook, which should be used in conjunction with other, similarly themed books and not as a stand-alone reference guide.

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