Reviews

Gr 7 Up‘This revised edition is based on the 1979 edition and The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations (1991). It contains 17,500 quotations from 2500 authors, including more non-English writers, thinkers, and public figures than previous Oxford collections, and provides more substantial representation of American figures, more quotes from non-literary fields, and revisits the lyrics of hymns and songs, which were purged from the 1979 edition. Despite all of this, the focus is strongly British, e.g., 10 pages devoted to Samuel Johnson, 171 to Shakespeare, while Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson get about a page each, and that wonderful quotable Cervantes, less than a page. Entries are arranged alphabetically by name, and include dates and a brief identification whenever possible. The print is small, but the typeface and layout are attractive and easy to use. There are features not usually found in such dictionaries, such as the inclusion of some excerpts from secondary sources about the author of a quote, and, in those cases in which the quotation was not originally written in English, presentation is in the original language followed by a translation. Brief appendixes touch on "Sayings of the 90s," "Popular Misquotations," and slogans. The Oxford's closest contender may be the 16th edition of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations (Little, Brown, 1992), that is very similar in scope (20,000 quotations representing 2550 authors) but appears to have more cultural breadth. The Oxford is recommended for libraries that have a demand for quotations, particularly those of British origin.‘Tess McKellen, Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn