Books in the McFarland Literary Companions series

A three-time National Book Award for Fiction winner, Saul Bellow is one of the most highly regarded American authors to emerge since World War II. His career produced 14 novels and novellas, two volumes of nonfiction, short story collections, plays and a book of collected letters. This companion provides more than 200 entries about his works, literary characters, events and persons in his life.

The creator of Louisiana detective Dave Robicheaux and characters based on his own family, James Lee Burke has used the mystery genre to explore enduring issues such as the nature of evil and the responsibility an individual has to his family and society at large. This companion is designed for general readers and scholars interested in Burke's work.

This literary companion surveys the works of Lee Smith, a Southern author lauded for her autobiographical familiarity with Appalachian settings and characters. An A to Z arrangement of entries incorporates specific titles, and themes such as belonging, healing and death, humour, parenting and religion.

James Joyce, one of the most important writers of the twentieth century, continues to fascinate readers all over the world. This volume provides historical and biographical background, plot summaries of the novels and stories, and critical insight helpful for any reader of Joyce's works. It also offers an A-Z guide to the life, works, people, history, and context that informed Joyce's writing.