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Masterplots II examines various works of literature. With strong interest in an analytical approach, story summaries are augmented by discussions of plot, theme, style and characters.

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809.3 Fiction 19th century Stories, plots, etc. / Fiction 19th century History and criticism / Fiction 20th century Stories, plots, etc. / Fiction 20th century History and criticism / Short story [CIP] 86-22025 Masterplots II: Short Story Series follows the familiar Masterplots pattern of providing factual information, plot summaries, and analysis and criticism. The uniform format for each entry includes the author's name and birth date (and death date if deceased), type of plot (e.g., mystery, detective, science fiction), time of plot, locale, publication date (and, when applicable, date of publication in English translation), and identifications of the principal characters. Each story is then treated in a signed essay (averaging between 1,500 and 2,000 words) that includes a plot summary, interpretation (themes and meanings), and criticism (style and technique). The 239 contributing reviewers are listed by name in volume 1 but are not otherwise identified. A check of the first 58 names in the Directory of American Scholars showed that somewhat more than one-third are listed there. The 732 stories covered were chosen to provide ``a representative collection suitable for academic reference as well as general inquiry.'' The 275 authors represented run the gamut from early masters of the genre (Irving, Poe, Hawthorne) to contemporary writers (Joyce Carol Oates, Cynthia Ozick, Louise Erdich). Foreign authors whose stories have been translated into English are well represented (Pushkin, Mishima, Cortazar). Entries are arranged alphabetically by story title. An alphabetical list of the titles included precedes the entries in each volume. Volume 6 contains a title index to the entire set and an author index in which story titles are listed under the names of the authors. A 15-page bibliography, also in the last volume, focuses on recent scholarship but includes older works on the short story, such as Henry S. Canby's Short Story in English (1909). Both books and journal articles are included in the section of the bibliography that covers general works on the short story. The entries in this section are annotated. The second part of the bibliography covers 41 individual authors and includes only books. Many of the books, however, consist of collections of critical essays that were originally published in journals. The entries in this part of the bibliography are not annotated. Masterplots II: Short Story Series has the same strengths and weaknesses as the other Masterplots sets. It is useful as a reference source and as a preliminary to reading the stories selected for inclusion. It will probably be used in some cases as a substitute for reading the original works. As is to be expected in a set with a large number of contributors, the quality of the analysis and criticism is somewhat variable. Masterplots II: Short Story Series will be useful to high school and college students and public libraries serving them.