Language of the Land: The Library of Congress Book of Literary Maps

By Martha E. Hopkins and Michael Buscher

Book Overview

Book by Hopkins, Martha E., Buscher, Michael, S/N 030-001-00178-4 This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0844409634
• ISBN13: 9780844409634
• Release Date: July 1999
• Publisher: Library of Congress
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 2.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.9" x 5.2" x 0.4"

Customer Reviews

I take issue with these negative reviews

They are right to point out that the images in the map are not in color, and are not as legible as one might like, but they are mistaken to find fault with the book for these reasons. This is not an atlas of literary maps, but, as the authors put it, a "cartobibliography" of literary maps. An atlas can be expected to provide high-quality reproductions of the maps it includes, because it is meant to stand in for the originals. A cartobibliography does not pretend to do so. It is meant as a guide for readers and researchers who are eager to identify maps that they will then consult at the appropriate library or archive. Many cartobibliographies do not even include images. This one does, but they are clearly meant only to give you a good idea of what the map is like, so that you can decide whether or not to go to the trouble of chasing it down. The fact that this cartobibliography includes so many images, and that they are all clear and well annotated, makes this an excellent cartobibliography. Know, however, that this is what you're buying, not an atlas.

This is a rich reference for lovers of literary landscapes--

Although one wishes for the full-size maps from the original exhibit, this book is the next best thing, providing a wealth of maps, with detailed, informative notes about each of them. I live in a state without a literary map, so I hope this book will inspire someone to produce one as attractive as Georgia's, for example. It is fun just to browse through and discover surprises, such as the startling Ian Fleming Thriller Map, or An Ancient Mappe of Fairyland, or the map of Homer's "Odyssey" in the shape of the British Isles, or Franz Kafka's Prague. Of course Shakespeare is well represented, and so are Tolkien and Mark Twain, as well as several Russian authors. A quotation from "Moby Dick" introduces the section on imaginary worlds: "It was not on any map. Real places never are." There I found Paul Bunyan's pictorial map of the United States, where, with the help of a magnifying glass, I was well entertained with accounts of his exploits. I like the layout of the book and the carefully-researched explanations throughout.