The Fiction Dictionary

Are you a fan of bubblegum fiction, do you prefer camp fiction, or perhaps a good bildungsroman? Enjoy a conspiratorial mystique or revel in deconstructive fiction? Sneer most cynically at bathos or dead metaphors? Like your characters flat, dynamic, round, static or fragrant? If you're not sure, Laurie Henry's The Fiction Dictionary, with more than 600 literary terms, is a worthy investment for writers, teachers, students, and language fans. She defines her literary terms quite clearly, but the dictionary goes beyond that, with engaging examples from a wide assortment of literature. Reading and browsing is entertainment and education combined. --Stephanie Gold