BENÉT’S READER’S ENCYCLOPEDIA, Carol Cohen, Editorial Director

Welcome to Page 27 of I Read That Book! On each Page, I’ll tell you a little about a book I read, often in a fun and informal manner, with the hope that you also may become interested enough to read it – or perhaps read it again if you’ve already enjoyed it once. The books I’ll be featuring come from a variety of genres at differing stages of my life, so whether you prefer history, literature, science fiction, or horror, there’s a good chance you’ll get some interesting ideas for your personal “To Be Read” list. Thank you for joining me on this journey as we flip through the pages of some of my favorite books. But before you start reading below, I invite you to grab a cup of your favorite beverage (coffee for me!) and find a comfortable place to sit, then turn to Page 27.

BENÉT’S READER’S ENCYCLOPEDIA, Carol Cohen, Editorial Director

Publication Date: Third Edition, Copyright 1948, 1955, 1965, 1987

In 1987, I was a member of the late Quality Paperback Book Club (now part of The Literary Guild), and one of the first things I bought was BENÉT’S READER’S ENCYCLOPEDIA; it may have even been part of my introductory package. I was a recent graduate in English Education from The Ohio State University, and I was hungry to learn all I could about literature. And with 1,091 double-columned pages containing information about writers and great literary works from around the world, this book really hit the spot.

Yes, it’s a massive tome. Upon first look, it’s rather intimidating—especially so for a young, newly married, college graduate. So how does one tackle something like this? I knew I wanted to read it from cover to cover, but I was worried that I’d come to regret it as I thought about all the novels waiting on my bookshelves. Because reading a reference book like BENÉT’S READER’S ENCYCLOPEDIA is a far different experience from reading Hemingway…or Twain…or Grisham.

And sometimes a fella just can’t wait that long before digging into the latest Stephen King chiller.

So, I came up with a plan: read two facing pages a day. And that’s what I committed myself to (although it took me about a year and a half to finish it). Back then, it was the first thing I’d read to start the day, and once accomplished, I had the remainder of the day to read a magazine, or perhaps go visit a STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND with Robert Heinlein. It felt a little ironic that I’d graduated from college, yet still had guidelines when it came to my “studies.”

Nowadays, I have all sorts of self-imposed mandatory rules that guide my daily reading habits, including always reading a book in which I read two facing pages each day. While this may seem a bit odd to some people, it works for me.

What’s it like reading BENÉT’S READER’S ENCYCLOPEDIA? While you may be able to make out what’s in the image above, I’ve given you a sample of the first paragraph from the entry for the Iliad, below.

Greek epic poem (9th century BC?) attributed to HOMER. In twenty-four books of dactylic hexameter verse, it details the events of the few days near the end of the TROJAN WAR, focusing on the withdrawal of ACHILLES from the contest and the disastrous effects of this act on the Greek campaign. The plot is as follows:

Subsequent paragraphs do a great job encapsulating the action, and while the descriptions in this book are no substitute for the real deal, if you figure that reading Homer will never be a thing in your life, at least you can impress friends and relatives if you get yourself a copy of BENÉT’S READER’S ENCYCLOPEDIA. In its entirety, there are about three columns worth of information covering Homer’s classic (which I read a few years ago, and then the Odyssey, eventually), so make sure to do your homework before conversing about such an epic poem if you never crack it open.

For a snapshot of what you’ll find inside (and if you want a copy, you can easily find preowned editions online, and quite possibly at your favorite used bookstore), I’m including this image from the back of the book.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t caution you that BENÉT’S READER’S ENCYCLOPEDIA will likely result in your personal library expanding…and expanding…and expanding even more as you read about so many wonderful stories and authors.

And don’t forget to join us here again when I flip to the next Page!

Note: The first 32 pages of I Read This Book! originally appeared on Substack.

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