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Library Research Guide
Getting Started with Literary Criticism
Starting a critical analysis of an author, work, or genre? Not sure how to start or feeling overwhelmed by the articles you do find? Save time by getting an overview of what literary criticism already exists on your topic.
Yes, you can use Wikipedia as a starting point, but when you need direction on academic sources, information on this page will help you:
- focus or refine your research topic,
- identify books or articles already written about your topic,
- start a list of keywords to use when searching for books and articles,
- understand the key themes or theories talked about in the articles and books you discover in your research.
Visit the pages on this guide for Academic Articles, Books, and Cultural Context to continue your research.
Author Biographies & Overviews
Learn more about an author:
- when they lived
- where they lived
- what they wrote
- known influences
- whether they believe chocolate is the best rejuvenator after a long day of writing
When searching in these databases, look for Author or Person search options. From the search results, look for options to limit your results to content types like:
- biographies (who they were)
- bibliographies (what they wrote)
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Literary Reference Center
Paid for by K-State Libraries
Offers full-text reference resources geared primarily toward undergraduate students. In addition to critical reviews of literature and encyclopedias, the Literary Reference Center also provides biographies, book reviews, author interviews, synopses and work overviews, literary journals, classic novels, and classic and contemporary short stories and poems. -
Literature Resource Center
Paid for by K-State Libraries
Provides researchers with unbounding literary resources to support their literary responses, literary analysis, and thesis statements through a wide variety of scholars and critics that ensure all views and interpretations are represented through up-to-date biographies, overviews, full-text criticisms, audio interviews, and reviews on writers from all eras. Use this resource to analyze authors and works throughout time.
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WorldCat IdentitiesTrying to get a handle on every bit of information about what an author has published? WorldCat Identities is a good starting point. Includes some anthology information. WorldCat Identities provides an informational page for every identity (e.g. authors, major fictitious characters) found in the WorldCat database. A page may include:
- works by or about the identity that are most commonly held in libraries,
- a timeline showing when works by or about an identity were published,
- and links to related topics or other identities.
An identities page may also include name variations, including pseudonyms, noms de plume, alternate spellings, and foreign language variations.
- works by or about the identity that are most commonly held in libraries,
Plot Summaries & Character Overviews
Plot summaries and character overviews cannot take the place of reading a work. However, they can provide terms and keywords for further research. Take note of subject terms, adjectives, genres, and themes that appear.
When searching these databases, look for options to search for a Work/Name of Work. From the search results, look for options to limit results to:
- Topic & Work Overviews
- Plot Summaries
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Literary Reference Center
Paid for by K-State Libraries
Offers full-text reference resources geared primarily toward undergraduate students. In addition to critical reviews of literature and encyclopedias, the Literary Reference Center also provides biographies, book reviews, author interviews, synopses and work overviews, literary journals, classic novels, and classic and contemporary short stories and poems. Some well-known reference resources in this database include:
- Critical Survey of Long Fiction
Critical Survey of Poetry
Magill's Survey of American Literature
Magill's Survey of World Literature
Masterplots -
Literature Resource CenterSimultaneous users: 2 Paid for by K-State Libraries
Provides access to biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses of authors from every age and literary discipline. Includes plot summaries and character overviews from well-known reference resources such as:
- Novels for Students
Characters in Twentieth-Century Literature
Contemporary Literary Criticism
Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism
Use the John Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism to establish a baseline understanding of key theories, theorists, and movements in literature.
Entries include extensive bibliographies.
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Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & CriticismPaid for by K-State Libraries
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism is a comprehensive work for literature study. It is comprised of nearly 300 entries on subjects pertaining to critics and theorists, important figures, schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific historical periods.
Search for Books with Literary Criticism
To find books about a work or an author, instead of a copy of the original work try:
- using the in subject option on Search It's Advanced Search screen
- adding key words like criticism to your search terms
Search It "in subject" Option
1. Click on the Advanced Search button from the Search It box on K-State Libraries' home page.
2. Click the K-State Libraries Only tab
3. Using the drop down options, change Any to in subject
4. Enter the work title or author's name in the search box
Literary Criticism Search Terms Option
Using the search box on the Libraries' home page or the Advanced Search page, build a search by combining:
- title of the work or author's name
- terms like: criticism, interpretation and/or history
Guides, Companions, and Encyclopedias
Guides, companions, and encyclopedias offer an in-depth entry point to studying literature. These works are often written for students or a researcher exploring new content and provide a window into the existing scholarship (including theory and criticism).
Don't find what you need using the links below? Try:
1. Searching in Search It or WorldCat for your author/work/movement/genre and the words: encyclopedia, companion, or guide. For example:
- medieval literature AND guide
- Asian literature AND encyclopedia
- Emily Dickinson AND encyclopedia
2. Broaden your search to a term that would include your author/work/movement.
For instance, information about Octavia Butler could appear in works about African American authors, the science fiction and fantasy genre, and twentieth century women authors.
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Blackwell Companions to Literature and CultureAccording to the publishers, titles in this series offer, "surveys of key periods and movements and certain major authors, in English literary culture and history. Extensive volumes provide new perspectives and positions ... orientating the beginning student in new fields of study and providing the experienced undergraduate and new graduate with current and new directions..."
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Cambridge Companions to Literature seriesAccording to the publishers, "The Cambridge Companions to Literature and Classics collection offers thousands of comprehensive and accessible essays on major authors, periods and genres, written by experts and designed for student readers. For the author Companions, each writer is placed in literary and historical context; their major works are analysed,either in separate chapters or grouped according to theme, and their influence on later writers assessed."
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Routledge Companion to ... SeriesThe Routledge Companion to ... series explore historical periods, literary movements, theories, and more. Titles currently owned by K-State Libraries include companions to dramaturgy, critical theory, and children's literature.
