Literary Criticism Research

Literary criticism is the analysis, evaluation, description or critique of novels, short stories, dramas, and poems. This guide is designed to help students find quality information for literary criticism in print, electronic databases and on the Internet. If you need additional help in your research, Ask a Librarian.

Literary Criticism Contents

Searching the Library Catalog (PAC) Reference Works Gale Reference Books Ethnic or National Focus Poetry Drama Short Story Novels Plot Summaries Keyword Searching Magazine and Journal Articles (including book reviews)

World Wide Web Resources General Literature American and British Poetry Women's Literature Shakespeare Fairy Tales and Myths Children's Literature Finding Author's Works Citing Sources

Searching the Library Catalog (PAC)
Search our library catalog for circulating books, reference books, DVDs, CDs and audiotapes. You may also use the PAC to find magazines and journals (print and electronic) available through the library. To learn how to search the PAC, consult the Searching the PAC research guide.

If our library does not have a book that fits your needs, consider searching Other Libraries' Catalogs. Once you find a book in another library, you may go to that library to view the book, check it out if you have an appropriate library card, or ask us to order it for you through interlibrary loan (usually takes 1 week). We also have a reciprocal borrowing agreement with several college libraries that allow our students to check out books using an up-to-date Moraine Valley student identification card.

When searching for books by an author like Mark Twain in the PAC, perform an author search typing the last name first (e.g., Twain, Mark). To find books about Mark Twain or literary criticism of his work, perform a subject search for Twain, Mark or for one of his works specifically by doing a subject search by title (e.g., Adventures of Tom Sawyer). Realize that criticism about Mark Twain might be found in a chapter of a more general work, such as a book about American authors. Examples of more general Subject searches in literature are:

• American Literature
• Drama
• Fiction--History and Criticism
• Literature Comparative
• Literature History and Criticism
• Literature Modern
• Short Story
• Poetry

Reference Works
Many reference works in literature give criticisms of works of novelists, poets, playwrights, short-story writers, and other creative writers. Reference works also provide bibliography citations that lead to other information on a topic or lists of works by an author and where you can find them.

Gale Reference Books (click on book title to retrieve the item record from PAC)

The Moraine Valley library owns many of the multi-volume reference works published by Gale for your use in researching literary criticism and author biographies. The easiest way to use these reference books is to consult the Gale online index and search by author or title (choose "Match words exactly" in title searches) to locate a list of article and chapter citations published in Gale Reference books. Then, from the list of citations, write down the articles in the Gale books and volumes this library owns (see below). With this information you can go to the volumes on the shelves to find the article. We highly recommend you use these valuable, convenient resources in your research.

Gale Literary Reference collections owned by Moraine Valley library:

• African-American Writers (REF PS153.N5 A344 2001 v.1-2): Introduction to the works of selected African-American writers. Entries include, biographic overview, a survey of the author's principal works, an assessment of the work as a whole and includes bibliographies of the authors' works.
• American History through Literature 1820-1870 (REF PS217.H57 A84 2006 v.1-3)
• American History through Literature 1870-1920 (REF PS217.H57 A843 2006 v.1-3)
• American Writers (REF PS129 .A55 v.1-4 and suppl.): Multi-volume set compiling essays on American writers including biographies, criticism of their works and bibliographies for further research on the writers.
• British Writers (REF PR85 .B688 v.1-8 and suppl.): Compiled essays on British writers and their works in a multi-volume set.
• Contemporary Authors (REF Z1224 .C6 v.1-220): Provides personal, career, writings and bibliographic sources on fiction, non-fiction, poetry, journalism, drama, motion picture and television writers, both living and deceased.
• Contemporary Authors New Revision Series (REF Z1224 .C62 v.1-33): Note: the LRC only has volumes 1-33 of Revision Series. We can obtain copies of articles in later volumes through interlibrary loan or you can check SWAN to see holdings of public libraries.
• Contemporary Literary Criticism (REF PN771 .C59 v.1-186): Info on more than 2,000 authors who are still living or have died after December 31, 1959 (or are still living) and their literary works. Authors include novelists, poets, playwrights, short story writers, and other creative writers.
• Contemporary Novelists (REF PR881 .C69 1996): "Covers and details the life and work of a great may of the best living practitioners of fiction in English over a number of different literary generations."
• Contemporary Poets (REF PR603.C6 2001): "Biographical and bibliographic information, a well as brief critical essays, on some of the world's most important English-language poets."
• Contemporary Women Poets (REF PS151 .C67 1998): "Provides biographical/bibliographical/critical entries on nearly 250 of the most prominent women poets currently writing and/or publishing in English Language today."
• Contemporary World Writers (REF PN451 .C6235 1993): "An encyclopaedic collection of short essays and basic information on some 340 living writers from over 60 countries."
• Drama for Students (REF PN6112 .D7 v.1-18): Entries include overviews of drama, author biography, character descriptions, themes, style, criticism and adaptations. The introduction in the front of the volumes explains how to cite this source.
• Gay and Lesbian Literature - (REF PN56.H57 G36 1993):  "Includes novelists, poets, short story writers, dramatists, journalists, editors and writers of nonfiction, including scholars whose work has contributed significantly to field."
• Hispanic Literature Criticism (REF PQ7081.A1 H573 1994 v.1-2): Multivolume compilation of essays on Hispanic authors.
• Latin American Writers (REF PQ7081.A1 L37 1989 v.1-3): Covers Latin American writers from the 1400s to present.
• Latino and Latina Writers (REF PS153.H56 L389 2004 v.1-2): "In-depth study of the works of some fifty-five authors representing different ethnicities and nationalities."
• Literature and Its Times (REF PF50 .L574 1974 v.1-5): Profiles of 300 notable works and the historical events that influenced them from ancient times to 2000
• Modern American Women Writers (REF PS151 .M54): "Critical and biographical essays about forty-one representative women writers who have published in the United States since the 1870s.
• Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism (REF PN761 .N5 v.1-137): Info on novelists, poets, philosophers and other writers (who died between 1800-1900) and their works.
• Novels for Students (REF PN3385 .N68 v.1-18): Information and criticism on many classic and some lesser known novels and information on the authors who wrote them.
• Poetry for Students (REF PN1101 .P756 v.1-19): Information and criticism on poems, and the poets who wrote them. Frequently, the full text of the poem is included.
• Shakespeare for Students (REF PR2987 .S47 v.1-3) Information and criticism on Shakespeare's most popular plays
• Shakespeare's Characters for Students (REFPR2989 .S53) Information about characters in the plays including relationships to other characters.  Also, information about the historical figure a character may be based on.
• Short Stories for Students (REF PN3373 .S3844 v.1-19): Information and criticism of many short stories and their authors.
• Short Story Criticism (REF PN3321 .S5 v.1-69): Biographies of short story writers with information and criticism of their works.
• Something About the Author (REF PN451 .S6 v.1-147): Covers both authors and illustrators of children's literature. Biographical and critical sources are included in later volumes.
• Twentieth Century Literary Criticism (REF PN94 .T83 v.1-147): Info on more than 500 authors (who died between 1900-1960) and their works.

Ethnic or National Focus (click on book title to retrieve the item record from PAC)

• African-American Writers (REF PS153.N5 A344 2001 v.1-2): Introduction to the works of selected African-American writers. Entries include, biographic overview, a survey of the author's principal works, an assessment of the work as a whole and includes bibliographies of the authors' works.
• American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies (REF PS129 .A55 v.1-4 and suppl.): These volumes cover a broad spectrum of authors including early and contemporary American writers, with biographies, general assessment of works, and bibliographies.
• Ancient Writers: Greece and Rome (REF PA3002 .A5 1982 v.1-2): 47 essays on individual ancient Greek and Roman writers including their lives, works, and selected bibliographies.
• British Writers (REF PR85 .B688 v.1-8 and suppl.): Covers British writers from the 14th century through present. Contains biographical information and assessments of authors' main works and bibliographical data.
• Contemporary American Women Poets (REF PS151 .C665 2002): American women poets from 1946 to 2002.
• Hispanic Literature Criticism (REF PQ7081.A1 H573 1994 v.1-2): Criticism of works by major Hispanic writers of the past 100 years.
• Latin American Writers (REF PQ7081.A1 L37 1989 v.1-3): Covers Latin American authors from colonial times through today. Contains biographic info, critical essays and selected bibliographies.
• Latino and Latina Writers (REF PS153.H56 L389 2004 v.1-2): "In-depth study of the works of some fifty-five authors representing different ethnicities and nationalities."
• Modern American Literature (REF PS221 .C8 1969 v.1-4): Significant critical excerpts on over 350 American authors' works.
• Modern American Women Writers (REF PS151 .M54 1991): Critical and biographical essays on forty-one American woman writers who have had works published after 1870. Bibliographies are provided.
• Modern British Literature (REF PR473 .T4 v.1-4): Essays written both by contemporaries and today's critics of twentieth century British writers.
• Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors (REF PR83 .M73 1966 v.1-4): Excerpts from critical essays of English and American authors from Beowulf to early 20th century.
• Native American Literatures - An Encyclopedia of Work, Characters, Authors, and Themes (REF PS153.152 W47): "The volume features four kinds of articles: on individual authors, on individual works, on important characters in works, and on terms or events of historical importance that figure in many of the works."
• Survey of Contemporary Literature (REF PN44 .M34 1977 v.1-12): Literary criticisms of books published in the U.S. between 1954 and 1977.
• The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Multiethnic American Literature (REF PS153.M56 G74 v1-5): Over 1000 authors as well as specific events and topics relating to cultural diversity are covered in this set.  Further readings information is included.

Poetry (click on book title to retrieve the item record from PAC)

• Contemporary Poets (REF PR603.C6 2001): "Biographical and bibliographic information, a well as brief critical essays, on some of the world's most important English-language poets."
• Contemporary Women Poets (REF PS151 .C67 1998): "Provides biographical/bibliographical/critical entries on nearly 250 of the most prominent women poets currently writing and/or publishing in English Language today."
• Critical Survey of Poetry (REF PR502 .C85 1992 v.1-8): Articles provide principal works, achievements, analysis and bibliography of over 368 poets. Included are essays on the development and subgenres of poetry.
• Guide to American Poetry Explication (REF Z1231.P7 G85 1989 v.1-2): Listing of articles and books that critique American poets from colonial to contemporary times.
• Guide to British Poetry Explication (REF Z2014.P7 M34 1991 v.2): Identifies articles and books that critique British poets from the Renaissance.
• Poetry Explication (REF Z2014.P7 K8 1980): Identifies articles and books that critique British and American poets and poems from various schools of criticism.
• Poetry for Students (REF PN1101 .P756 v.1-19): Contains biographies, summaries, themes, styles historical and cultural context, critical overview, sources and criticism of poets.

Drama (click on book title to retrieve the item record from PAC)

• Critical Survey of Drama English Language Series (REF PR623 .C75 1994 v.1-7): Biographic, analytic, and bibliographic information of 240 dramatists. Also, 23 essays on various aspects of English language drama covering medieval, Elizabethan and Restoration, African, Australian, 18th, 19th, and 20th century.
• Drama Criticism (REF Z5781 .C65 v.1-2): Bibliography of drama criticism published since 1940 covering Classical and Continental plays.
• Drama for Students (REF PN6112 .D7 v.1-18): Covers plot summary, biography, characters, themes, critical overview and criticism for dramatic works from the fifth century B.C. through the 1990s.
• Drama Criticism Index (REF Z5781 .C65 v.1-2): Commentaries covering over 300 20th century American and foreign playwrights
• Guide to Critical Reviews (REF Z1035.A1 S3 1973 pt.1-4): Provides a bibliography of critical reviews in four sections: American Drama (290 dramatists whose plays were produced between 1909-1969), Musicals (Broadway musical from 1920-1965), British & Continental Drama (plays produced on the New York stage from 1909-1966), and Screenplays (feature length motion pictures released from 1927-1963)
• McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama (PN1625 .M3 v.1-4): Includes drama about Western tradition as well as African, Asian, and Latin American. Provides biographical, analytical and synopsis of dramatist's major works, play list, and bibliographical breakdown.

Short Story (click on book title to retrieve the item record from PAC)

• Critical Survey of Short Fiction and Revised edition (REF PN3373 .M24 v.1-7): Contains over 363 articles on 348 individual authors including biography, analysis and bibliography information. Other essays examine short fiction development.
• Short Stories for Students (REF PN3373 .S3844 v.1-19): Includes description of important characters, analysis of major themes and literary techniques, and historical and cultural contexts. Works include those by classic, contemporary, multicultural, international, and women writers.
• Short Story Criticism (REF PN3321 .S5 v.1-19)--contains historical survey of criticism, current analysis, and bibliographical information about major short story writers from Edgar Allan Poe and Maupassant to contemporary authors.
• Twentieth Century Short Story Explication (REF Z5917.S5 W33): Bibliography of interpretations of short stories written after 1900 or short stories written since 1800.

Novels (click on book title to retrieve the item record from PAC)

• Critical Survey of Long Fiction: Foreign Language Series Novels for Students (REF PN3503 .C7 1984 v.1-5 and suppl.): Contains biography, achievements, analysis and bibliographic information on over 180 authors from around the world including the Far East, Latin America, Africa, Russia and Europe.
• Novels for Students (REF PN3385 .N68 v.1-18): Information and criticism on many classic and some lesser known novels and information on the authors who wrote them.
• Survey of Science Fiction Literature (REF PN3448.S45 S8 v. 1-5 and suppl.): Presents criticism of over 500 novels published before 1979 plus sources for further study.

Plot Summaries (click on book title to retrieve the item record from PAC)

• Masterpieces of World Literature in Digest Form (REF PN44 .M3 1952 series 1,2 and 3): 500 essay-reviews and play synopses of fiction, drama, poetry, philosophy and other classics.
• Masterplots (REF PN 44 M33 v. 1-8): Provides story summaries of over 2,000 titles from world literature.
• Masterplots Revised Edition (PN 44 M33 1976 v. 1-10)--the revised edition of Masterplots provides critique in addition to the story summaries of over 2,000 titles from world literature.
• Masterplots II, African-American Literature Series (REF PS153.N5 M2645 1994 v. 1-3): 266 essays discussing major works of African-American writers including poets, non-fiction writers, dramatists and novelists.
• Masterplots II: American Fiction Series (REF PN44 .M33 1986-1996 v. 1-6): 20th century American writers including women, blacks and Latin-American authors. Contains synopsis of novel, themes and meanings, critical contexts, and sources for further study.
• Masterplots II: Short story series (REF PN3326 .M27 1986 v.1-10): Essays providing plot, themes, meanings, style and technique on short stories from world literature both present and past
• Survey of Contemporary Literature : Updated Reprints of 2,300 Essay-Reviews from Masterplots Annuals, 1954-1976(REF PN44 .M34 1977 v. 1-12 and suppl. 1977-79): A survey and criticism of contemporary fiction and non-fiction books 1954-1978 with 3,300 bibliographical reference sources.
• 20th Century Plays in Synopsis (REF PN6112.5 .S68): Contains summaries of 133 modern plays.

Keyword Searching
Whether searching library catalogs, article databases or the internet, keyword searches are helpful ways to locate information particular to your needs. Consult the search tips section of the search engine you are using for the best way to keyword search. Each has its own special features. Here are some examples of Keywords to use in Literary Criticism searches:

Your author's name, first name first, in quotes ("Mark Twain") or any pseudonyms ("Samuel Clemens")
The title of your authors work in quotes ("The Adventures of Tom Sawyer")
Criticism
Review
Biography

Combine keywords for more powerful searches, e.g., ("Mark Twain" OR "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer") AND (criticism OR review). Consult the search tips of the database or search engine to learn how to use AND and OR.

Magazine and Journal Articles from Online Databases
Magazine and Journal articles are one of the best sources for literary criticism. Use the library's online databases to search for articles. Many of the articles are available in full text and can be read online. For others you may have to use the citations in the database to locate the print article in our collection or to order a copy free through interlibrary loan. To use these database from home follow the directions on this link. For years not covered in the online databases use the print indexes to articles in Humanities Index, New York Times Index and Book Review Digest, located in the periodicals section of the library.

• Academic Search Premier: Provides full text for over 4,650 academic, social sciences, humanities, general science, education, and multicultural journals. In addition to the full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for over 8,200 journals. Database coverage is 1984 to the present.
• ArticleFirst: Covers over 16,000 different publications from 1990 to the present. It is updated daily.
• Expanded Academic ASAP: Provides full-text coverage of 2,089 journal titles and citations/abstracts for articles for 1,500 additional journal titles. Database coverage is 1980 to the present.
• Literary Index to Gale Publications: Index to Gale literary criticism books.  The library owns many but not all.  See Gale Literary Reference collections owned by MVCC library for list.
• Literature Onlne (LION): A fully searchable library of more than 350,000 works of English and American poetry, drama, and prose.
• MLA International Bibliography: The Modern Language Association's online tool to scholarly research in literature, writing, and language.
• New York Times Book Review: Reviews of select books published from January 2000-current.

World Wide Web Links to Literary Criticism

General

• Internet Public Library: Online Literary Criticism Collection --links to critical and biographical websites. Can be searched by author, title, nationality, and literary period.
• Librarian's Index to the Internet-Literature and Books: Directory linking to authors, children's books, genres, fairy tales, poetry, literature by country, and study guides.
• Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database: Provides summaries of books having an aspect of medicine as a theme, e.g., suicide, alcoholism, sexuality, and abortion. Can also be searched by genre and era.
• LitLinks: Provides annotated websites of authors and their works arranged by genres (drama, fiction, essays, poetry, and critical theory).

American and British

• PAL: Perspectives in American Literature A Research and Reference Guide: Links to literary movements and major and minor authors.
• American Authors --information on authors, timeline (stops at 1920), literary movements, and American literature sites.
• American Authors on the Web Links: Arranged chronologically, provides information on authors and their works. Also has an index for general resources on American literature.
• British and Irish Authors: Arranged chronically, provides information on authors and their works.
• Voice of the Shuttle: English and American literature resources.
• The Victorian Web: Biography, themes, social history, imagery and related resources are among the links provided for over 70 Victorian authors including the Brontes, Thackery, Eliot and Wilde.
• American literature on the Web resource pages: Links to authors and literary indexes.
• American Studies Links Recommended by Richard P. Horwitz -Literature: Resources compiled by Richard P. Horwitz, Ph.D. of the American Studies Department at the University of Iowa.
• Literary Resources on the Net: "A collection of links to sites on the Internet dealing especially with English and American literature, excluding most single electronic text"
  

Poetry

• Poetry Portal: "A directory or guide to the internet poetry world, a simple-to-use and comprehensive overview of what's currently online."
• Modern American Poetry: Links to criticism on American modern poets
• Poets.org: Essays on poetry, biographies of more than 200 poets, text of nearly 600 poems, and RealAudio of eighty poems read by their authors"
• Twentieth Century Poetry in English: Links to over 150 poets. Many links provide bibliographic and biographic information. Also, links to poetry related sites.
• Modern and Contemporary American Poetry Links: Links to useful Web sites compiled by a University of Pennsylvania English professor Al Filreis.

Women's Literature

• Celebration of Women's Writers: "Comprehensive listing of links to biographical and bibliographical information about women writers, and complete published books written by women." Can access by name, date, country, and ethnicity.
• Voices from the Gap, Women Writers of Color: Provides biographic, bibliographic and criticism information about woman writers of color in North America
• Domestic Goddesses: Links to biographic information and literary criticism on the following "domestic" woman writers who wrote between 1830-1920: Alcott, Cather, Chopin, Gilman, Glaspell, Hale, Hopkins, Jewett, Stowe, Warner, and Wharton.
• Women Writers: Index linking to women writers (includes early modern, 19th century, 20th century fiction and non-fiction)
  

Shakespeare

• Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet: Comprehensive site covering all aspects of Shakespeare and his works including criticism and biographic information
• Encyclopedia Britannica Presents Shakespeare and the Globe: Then and Now: Divided into subdivisions including Shakespeare, The Plays, The Elizabethan Context, Special Features, The Globe, Biographies, as well as related links.
  

Fairy Tales and Myths

• Mything Links: "An Annotated and Illustrated Collection of Worldwide Links to Mythologies, Fairy Tales and Folklore, Sacred Arts and Traditions"
• Folklinks: Folk and Fairy-Tales Site - Links include encyclopedias, electronic text indexes, directories, film and fairy tales, general fairy tale sites, and organizations and journals.

Children's Literature

• Online Book: Children's Literature: A Guide to the Criticism
  Kay E. Vandergrift's Special Interest Page --various aspects of children's literature including feminist studies
• The Literary Web: Children's Literature --links to authors and illustrators, children's literature, publications for children, publications by children, and awards.

Citing Sources
Our Citing Sources research guide is designed to support students writing research papers.
Note: When using an article reprinted in one of the Gale literary reference books, one must cite the original article as it appeared in the Gale publication. Here is an example of how to cite such an article found in Contemporary Literary Criticism:

Presley, Delma Eugene. "The Search for Hope in the Plays of Tennessee Williams," Mississippi Quarterly, 25  (1971), 31-43. rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism, vol. 111. Jeffrey W. Hunter ed. Detroit: Gale, 1999, 379-384.  

Librarians and other Library staff will gladly assist you in using the many sources for literary criticism. Do not hesitate to ask them for assistance at any point in your search.

This Research Guide was created on 07/26/04 by Marea Kahn and Lee Semmerling, and updated 6/6/06 by Marea Kahn