World Literature in Spanish

Gr 9 Up—Expansive in breadth and focused in scope, this set offers an almost overwhelming introduction to the many figures, works, and movements that fall under the umbrella of "literature in Spanish." Covering everything from Cervantes to contemporary Latin American authors and from epic poetry to eroticism in the works of contemporary Spanish women writers, this celebration of "Spanish" literature often feels overstuffed with more entries and "masterworks" than can nestle comfortably into three slim volumes, and the pages look cramped and awkward for browsing. The topic guides that open each volume are useful navigation aids, however. While all of this material would be more user-friendly in an online database such as Gale's Literature Resource Center or EBSCO's Literary Reference Center, it is the gathering of these pieces into one set that gives them such idiosyncratic and serendipitous value. While researchers can use Gale's or EBSCO's databases to find much more on the Colombian essayist/historian German Arciniegas, for example, it is unlikely that they would discover him on their own by searching for literature in Spanish or even Colombian literature, making Ihrie and Oropesa's work praiseworthy. Given the presentation issues, though, the ebook version of this set is the more attractive option for libraries.—Herman Sutter, St. Agnes Academy, Houston, TX