Backpack Literature (2nd Edition) (Kennedy/Gioia Literature Series)

by X. J. Kennedy, Dana Gioia

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Product Description
The smallest and most economical member of the Kennedy/Gioia family, Backpack Literature, 2/e, features the authors' collective poetic voice which brings personal warmth and a human perspective to the discussion of literature, adding to students' interest in the readings.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: 5 out of 5 stars

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5 out of 5 stars

Not Bad At All, 2007-06-14
I'm a student and this textbook was assigned for my intro to literature class. I was surprised by how much I actually ENJOYED this textbook! There is a lot of good writing in it, some great examples of literature, which made for interesting class discussions. I even found myself reading a lot of the passages that weren't assigned, just out of curiousity, and most of them were really quite enjoyable.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5 out of 5 stars

A compelling choice, 2005-12-15
Overpriced like most textbooks but probably the only introductory literature anthology since Benjamin LaMott's "Close Imagining" (McGraw Hill) that I'd use a second time. It's compact yet very generous and representative. For example, you can pair "Young Goodman Brown" with "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" or "A Rose for Emily" with "Barn Burning" or "A & P" with "Araby." Most of the frequently taught poems are here, and there are more plays--from Sophocles to Arthur Miller--than would ever fit into a single-semester course. And the Appendices are priceless--more useful information than is found in popular writing Handbooks along with exemplary student essays (a particularly handy feature).

I've previously used the big Kennedy and Gioia Intro text. Not only did the binding begin to fall apart on me mid-way though the semester but the amount of material--most of it never assigned--simply added to the guilt any instructor who emphasizes close reading of individual texts is bound to feel. Also, any introductory literature course that even purports to be representative must include some examples of the most important modern genre of all--the novel. Add "Great Expectations" and "The Great Gatsby" to the course and you'll see why the shorter, more compact anthology is the only one to consider. In fact, I might even settle for a "back pocket" version.

(My experiences with the complementary (but not really "complimentary") internet site--which my students never seemed to be able to access--would suggest that it would best be ignored. Go for the DVD or a price break instead.)

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