From Book News, Inc.
Dictionary of characters, places, titles, terms, and people from the life and works of Kate Chopin. Includes her translations of eight stories by deMaupassant and one by Adrien Vely, and concludes with a bibliographical essay by Bonner (English, Xavier U. Louisiana). Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Review
. . . overall, the dictionary is a very helpful tool, one that pointedly illuminates the coherence of Chopin's fictional world. Perhaps the most valuable contribution of Bonner's volume to Chopin scholarship is the publication of Chopin's translations of Guy de Maupassant and Adrian Vely. Since these nine stories are previously uncollected, and five exist only in manuscript, their availability here is a boon to serious students of Chopin's work. . . . Indeed, the Companion itself will undoubtedly encourage such critical attention, offering as it does such excellent resources for a richer understanding of this important nineteenth-century writer.Resources for American Literary Study

Book Description
"Bonner . . . provides a compendium of information, helpful to the undergraduate as well as to the scholar; a chronology of Chopin's life; nine translations by Chopin herself of French short stories, eight of which are by Guy de Maupassant, a major literary influence (five of these published here for the first time); period maps of Missouri, Louisiana, and New Orleans, and a 13-page bibliographic essay on primary and secondary sources, which is thorough and organized for easy reference. The bulk of the book is devoted to a `Dictionary of Characters, Places, Titles, Terms, and People from the Life and Works of Kate Chopin.' The `Dictionary' will be especially helpful to those readers . . . who are unfamiliar with the Cajun and Creole terms--e.g., lagniappe, jambalaya--appearing in Chopin's fiction, or with the many references to French Catholicism made by her characters. . . . Overall, this volume is a valuable tool for both the novice and experienced Chopin reader, and is highly recommended." Choice

Language Notes
Text: English, French (translation)

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Bonner . . . provides a compendium of information, helpful to the undergraduate as well as to the scholar; a chronology of Chopin's life; nine translations by Chopin herself of French short stories, eight of which are by Guy de Maupassant, a major literary influence (five of these published here for the first time); period maps of Missouri, Louisiana, and New Orleans, and a 13-page bibliographic essay on primary and secondary sources, which is thorough and organized for easy reference. The bulk of the book is devoted to a `Dictionary of Characters, Places, Titles, Terms, and People from the Life and Works of Kate Chopin.' The `Dictionary' will be especially helpful to those readers . . . who are unfamiliar with the Cajun and Creole terms--e.g., lagniappe, jambalaya--appearing in Chopin's fiction, or with the many references to French Catholicism made by her characters. . . . Overall, this volume is a valuable tool for both the novice and experienced Chopin reader, and is highly recommended." Choice

SYNOPSIS

"Overall, this volume is a valuable tool for both the novice and experienced Chopin reader, and is highly recommended." Choice

FROM THE CRITICS

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