Margaret Atwood

September 1, 2007
English professor Hengen ("Margaret Atwood's Power") and librarian Thomson, both with Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ont., have outdone themselves with this successor to Judith McCombs and Carole L. Palmer's edition of "Margaret Atwood: A Reference Guide"(Hall Reference Bks., 1991). It spans 19882005, with each chapter including citations for and adaptations of Atwood's works, quotations, interviews, scholarly resources, and, where space allows, reviews. More than just updating the guide, the authors have expanded its content, which now includes citations for Atwood's poetry, articles, short stories, and letters to the editor in addition to those for her books. As with the previous edition, however, the sheer number of cited works in each chronologically arranged chapter is somewhat daunting, as the citations are not subarranged by genre. But this is a minor complaint about a work that so precisely and thoughtfully covers Atwood's prolific publishing career. What's more, author-related references, only included if available through interlibrary loan, are sorted by typee.g., interviews, scholarly resources, and reviews. Such details will undoubtedly be highly appreciated by anyone studying the author's oeuvre. Especially interesting is the inclusion of Atwood's public comments and quotations; these add a layer of personality and context to what might otherwise have been a dry work. Other features are a year-by-year chronology of Atwood's career highlights, a ten-page guide to "Atwood on the Web," and thorough author and subject indexes. As with its predecessor, checklists published by the Margaret Atwood Society are designed to be updated annually. BOTTOM LINE This is a meticulous 360-degree treatment; one wishes all reference books would be this scrupulous. Highly recommended for academic and research libraries and for public libraries where appropriate.Katherine Mossman, Everett P.L., WA

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