Each title features:
- Critical essays reflecting a variety of schools of criticism
- Notes on the contributing critics, a chronology of the author's life, and an index
- An introductory essay by Harold Bloom.

Camus's landmark novel traces the aftermath of a shocking crime and the man whose fate is sealed with one rash and foolhardy act. The Stranger presents readers with a new kind of protagonist, a man unable to transcend the tedium and inherent absurdity of everyday existence in a world indifferent to the struggles and striving of its human denizens.

Each title features:
- A selection of the best criticism on the play through the centuries
- Introductory essays on the development of criticism on the play in each century
- A brief biography of Shakespeare
- A plot synopsis, list of characters, and analysis of several key passages
- An introduction by Harold Bloom.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein, a story she wrote at the age of nineteen, is a popular tale, remarkable not only for its striking plot but also its Romantic elements. This collection of critical essays examines works of Shelley.

- Brings together the best criticism on the most widely read poets, novelists, and playwrights- Presents complex critical portraits of the most influential writers in the English-speaking world--from the English medievalists to contemporary writers- Introductory essay by Harold Bloom

Although he spent much of his career in obscurity, Herman Melville, the author of classics such as Moby-Dick, Billy Budd, and "Bartleby, the Scrivener," has since become known as one of America's greatest writers.

Each title features:
- A complex critical portrait of one of the most influential writers in the world
- Bibliographic information that directs readers to additional resources for further study
- A useful chronology of the writer's life
- An introductory essay by Harold Bloom.

Each title features:
- Concise critical excerpts that provide a scholarly overview of each work
- "The Story Behind the Story," detailing the conditions under which the work was written
- A biographical sketch of the author, a descriptive list of characters, an extensive summary and analysis, and an annotated bibliography.

Each title features:
- A complex critical portrait of one of the most influential writers in the world
- Bibliographic information that directs readers to additional resources for further study
- A useful chronology of the writer's life
- An introductory essay by Harold Bloom.

Each title features:
- Critical essays reflecting a variety of schools of criticism
- Notes on the contributing critics, a chronology of the author's life, and an index
- An introductory essay by Harold Bloom.