Drawing from an online database developed for such quick access, Salem Press selected 500 noteworthy books which continue to hold the interest of general readers and literary specialists year after year. While such a selection cannot hope to define a literary canon - and can give rise to discussion of omitted works - we hope this compilation will lead readers to works of abiding literary value, and the subsequent controversy over selection will make them aware of many works not addressed here.Each review approaches one work of literature - fiction, nonfiction, poetry or drama - and is introduced with brief ready reference data: title, author, date of first publication, type of work, and a brief abstract of the book's content or impact. The 300-word review provides the interested reader with an idea of the work's importance in the history of literature and ideas.