Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

Encyclopedia of Adventure Fiction. Don D’Ammassa. 306p. New York: Facts on File, 2009. 978-0-8160-7573-7; 2008-7487. $75.

Adventure stories are among the oldest genres of literature. Odysseus, King Arthur, Robin Hood, Don Quixote, Robinson Crusoe, the Three Musketeers, Hawkeye, Huckleberry Finn, Horatio Hornblower, Tarzan, James Bond, Jack Ryan and other iconic figures have entertained readers and listeners for centuries. The abilities of such heroes to meet challenges of both wit and courage appealed to readers of all ages. Exotic settings, strange cultures and perilous adventures provided additional thrills. From sea stories and spy novels to westerns, war narratives and true-life adventures, the genre takes many forms. This reader’s guide explores the wide world of adventure writing. The 153 entries describe the works of more than a 100 adventure writers and explore the many subgenres. Most articles feature specific books or stories, from "Around the World in Eighty Days to Watership Down". Entries on books give background on the author, plot summaries and critical analyses of form, originality and technique. Influential or prolific authors like Jules Verne, Zane Grey, or Patrick O’Brian earn their own entries. So too, do recurring characters like The Shadow or the Lone Wolf. Other essays explore the attraction of pulp novels, science fiction and superheroes. A general bibliography of adventure fiction provides a selective reading list of the work of 108 authors. The index connects general themes and references thousands of titles and authors. The result is a useful introduction to a highly popular literary genre. This guide will serve high school, public and academic libraries.