An Ecology of World Literature

March 1, 2015

Beecroft (classics & comparative literature, Univ. of South Carolina; Authorship and Cultural Identity in Early Greece and China) sets out to "facilitate the comparative study of the interactions between literatures and their environments." Taking into consideration such parameters as language, politics, economics, and technologies of distribution, Beecroft borrows from the field of ecology, grouping his study results into six literary ecologies: epichoric (pertaining to a specific area), panchoric (texts spanning across a range of epichoric communities), cosmopolitan, vernacular, national, and global literatures. While the author frequently refers readers to his previous articles and book on the subject for additional explanation, he does briefly explain each ecology before providing case studies to support his argument. Beecroft also compares and contrasts his ecologies and shows how each has the potential to evolve over time and be encompassed into an even broader framework. For example, the local oral literature of the epichoric ecology may be taken up into a more regional panchoric ecology. VERDICT Beecroft's approach provides a useful means of comparing literatures across time and language and dares to speculate what might be in store for the future. Well-written and clearly argued, this is a firmly academic book not intended for the general reader.--Stefanie Hollmichel, Univ. of St. Thomas Law Lib., Minneapolis

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.