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The Complete Idiot's Guide to American Literature Paperback – August 1, 1999

by Laurie E. Rozakis (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 103 ratings
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Looks at American authors from Washington Irving to John Updike and provides brief biographical sketches, excerpts and summaries of major works, and explanations of major literary movements
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    496 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Alpha
  4. Publication date
    August 1, 1999
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    7.34 x 1.13 x 9.02 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0028633784
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0028633787
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

You're no idiot, of course. You know that Samuel Clemens had a better-known pen name, Moby Dick is a famous whale, and the Raven only said,"Nevermore." But when it comes to understanding the great works of Mark Twain, Herman Melville, and Edgar Allan Poe, you'd rather rent the videos than head to your local library. Don't tear up your library card yet! The Complete Idiot's Guide to American Literature teaches you all about the rich tradition of American prose and poetry, so you can fully appreciate its magnificent diversity. In this Complete Idiot's Guide, you get:

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Alpha; First Edition (August 1, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0028633784
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0028633787
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.82 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.34 x 1.13 x 9.02 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 103 ratings

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Laurie E. Rozakis

Laurie E. Rozakis

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
103 global ratings
Excellent supplement for those less than thrilled with having to take literature class in college. A must have.
5 Stars
Excellent supplement for those less than thrilled with having to take literature class in college. A must have.
If you are hating life and struggling in your American Literature class this comes in very helpful for those who are forced to take Literature as a General Education class in college.The Complete Idiot's Guide to American Literature
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Top reviews from the United States

Rx
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent CLEP American Literature study tool
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2015
Verified Purchase
American Literature was my 10th CLEP test and was in a way one of the most challenging so far due to the enormously broad amount of material that one is required to be familiar with Just In Case a particular passage from that material is on the exam. The difficulty with the American Literature Clep is that it isn't simply knowing the titles of of the main pieces of work by around 3 dozen different authors but you may also be asked about specific events or characters in those works, you will also be provided an excerpt from various pieces of work and be expected to recognize its author.

I see some reviews say this is the only book you need to pass the Clep (I'm guessing they mean a 50 or higher though some schools might require as high as 65) but its not worth risking it considering the cost of the exam & proctoring and having to wait 6 months if you do not score high enough. Also people that took Honors & AP English classes in school are likely to be in a much better position starting out

I found this book to be a more fleshed out version of REA's old 2009 study guide / though there was some topics covered in one that wasn't in the other & vice versa. I'm not sure how this would compare to REAs new 2014 edition. The humor of the book is ok, but definitely becoming very dated with some old jokes in there. Actually for the first half of the book or so the humor sometimes is more distracting than helpful but seems to become much more subtle through the later half. Still the read is about as easy it can get.

Ultimately for preparing for the test I recommend this book, REAs online practice test, Peterson's online practice test, & using Spark Notes (google it, its free). For Spark Notes I think the only part that really is needed is reading the Context, Character, & Questions section and skipping the chapter breakdowns. This really helps cement the works and characters with the authors in your mind.
13 people found this helpful
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K. Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars If you're thinking about reading this to take the American Literature CLEP... DO IT.
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2015
Verified Purchase
I rarely ever post reviews, except when I think it will help the general public. I read only this book -in a weekend, mind you- and took a practice test in order to prepare for the test and I passed with ease! In my eyes, this is the only resource you really need because the information is easy to read, often times funny, and breaks down key facts into bite size chunks. Of course it is not comprehensive and does not cover every author that contributed to the progress of literature over the years, but I am indebted to the author of this book for passing this test. If you want to add more to your arsenal in preparation for the test, study the major plays, know when they were written, and know in a broad sense what they are about.

TL;DR: This book is a great investment! It is fun and easy to read, and you'll set yourself up very well to pass this intimidating CLEP.
4 people found this helpful
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Jennology14
4.0 out of 5 stars Decent study guide
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2011
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I purchased this book to review for the American Literature CLEP exam. Although the book was very comprehensive, I would suggest pairing it with another study guide if preparing for CLEP. I did pass the exam with the aid of this book, but there was a lot of material on the exam that wasn't in the book. The book was easy to read (not textbook-y) and the author made the material fun and interesting.
2 people found this helpful
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Hailey Lane
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for CLEP Prep
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2016
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I used only this book to study for the American Literature CLEP, and I passed with a 55 this morning. This is an excellent resource and gives just enough information to help you pass the exam. I'll admit, I answered a few questions through the process of elimination because I knew enough about the answer choices to narrow it down. It's worth mentioning that I stopped at the chapters dealing with Frost and e.e. cummings because I was in a time crunch. If your institution requires a higher passing score, you will definitely need to read it all the way through.

The book itself is pretty entertaining and very easy to follow. The author includes little tidbits of information throughout, making it a fun read. I'd recommend it for anyone who wants to brush up on their literature.
One person found this helpful
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KAteS
5.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive and entertaining summary of American Lit!
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2014
Verified Purchase
I gave this book (Kindle version) 5 stars for a few reasons:
(1) It is well-formatted for the Kindle and easy to navigate.
(2) It covers many of the important historical events as well as the authors during particular time periods in American history. This is helpful because so much of American Literature is tied to the historical events which took place at the time.
(3) The author's sense of humor and wit are entertaining (at least in my opinion), although some of the references to MASH and Cheers might not be picked up by the post-millennium crowd.
(4) Any teacher could use this as a refresher or for inspiration when teaching American Literature, and any student would benefit from the comprehensive summaries of the authors and works included in this book.

CONS:
There are a few glitches in the text, especially in the Table of Contents. These glitches are strange symbols that appear in place of punctuation such as apostrophes and dashes.
8 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read and great for the CLEP
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2005
Verified Purchase
Based on recommendations here, I bought this book and used it over a period of 4 months to prepare for the American Literature CLEP. I found the book easy to read and would guess that it directly covers about 85% of what I saw. The book didn't cover a few authors and left out some of the works discussed but otherwise was right on target.

In addition to the book, definitely study the playwrights (Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill) as suggested by another reviewer. Also, the only chapter I didn't need was the one on Canadian authors.

As a study guide, I used this book almost exclusively and wouldn't have had a chance without it.

BTW, I scored a 72.
31 people found this helpful
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Eric Rich
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent supplement for those less than thrilled with having to take literature class in college. A must have.
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2018
Verified Purchase
If you are hating life and struggling in your American Literature class this comes in very helpful for those who are forced to take Literature as a General Education class in college. The Complete Idiot's Guide to American Literature
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Eric Rich
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent supplement for those less than thrilled with having to take literature class in college. A must have.
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2018
If you are hating life and struggling in your American Literature class this comes in very helpful for those who are forced to take Literature as a General Education class in college.[[ASIN:B00AR16PJM The Complete Idiot's Guide to American Literature]]
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Dal
5.0 out of 5 stars Me gusta mucho
Reviewed in Spain on September 4, 2015
Verified Purchase
Necesitaba un libro que me diera una idea más sencilla de la literatura americana para hacer un esquema mental en el que, por fin, consiguiera memorizar autores y obras en su epoca y me resulta útil.
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