Now, some time later, I find myself referring back to those books and buying more of them. Am I still under the gun? No. These books, unlike like those charming ones from my college days, are well organized, insightful, and show a clear understanding of literary device.
I have found them so useful that I recommend them to teachers (both new and experienced). They provide perspectives I had never thought of, helpful questions, and practice essays I find myself using again and again.
This series is simply the most helpful and concise tool I have ever found. I have even taken to recommending this book to my students. I know bad teacher. However, using this text breakdown and summary along with side by side texts my students have improved their short and long term understanding of literature by remarkable amounts.
Dollar for dollar you can not go wrong with any of these books.