Literary Criticism
Start with the Online Catalog to FIND BOOKS.
Literary criticism is often published in book form or as a collection of essays. Do a subject search using the author’s last name and then first name. From the list of subjects that appear, choose “Criticism and Interpretation” or “influence” or other appropriate subject heading.
Databases
Literary Reference Center - EBSCO
This database provides access to literary criticism, including plot summaries, synopses, and works overviews from Masterplots; also included are author biographies, author interviews, book reviews, a literary encyclopedia, and other reference works.
Literature Resources from Gale (DISCUS) 
This search interface allows you to cross-search the content of all literature related databases provided by Gale through DISCUS including: Literature Resource Center, the Scribner Writers Series, the Twayne’s Author Series and Litfinder. Use these resources to find biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses of more than 120,000 authors from every age and literary discipline. Also contains Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature, featuring definitions of literary terms.
Academic Search Premier - PASCAL 
- Includes many scholarly results.
- Type the author’s name in the first box and the name of the work or the theme you are writing about in the second box.
- Includes full-text articles for a selected number of SCHOLARLY JOURNALS but NOT the most recent copies.
- search: type keywords in the search boxes then checkmark the boxes under Select disciplines or Journals heading.
- JSTOR has a stable url feature which means the address for each article always remains the same.
MLA BIBLIOGRAPHY (Modern Language Association Bibliography)1926-present
- Type in key words from the title of the work and the author’s name.
- NOTE: Many titles in this database need to be requested through interlibrary loan, so be sure to leave ample time for this service.
Expanded Academic ASAP (DISCUS)
- Type the last name and first name of your author as a SUBJECT GUIDE search.
- You may also want to try a KEYWORD SEARCH by combining words in the title of the work you are researching and the author.
Print Resources
REFERENCE MATERIALS located in the library. Major sources of literary criticism exist as critical summaries of an author’s work.
| Title | Description | Call Number |
| Contemporary Authors (CA) | Biographical information, critical reception of author’s works, list of writings, and list of additional biographical and critical sources. | REF Z1224 .C6 |
| Contemporary Literary Criticism (CLC) | Excerpts of criticism for works of living authors (novelists, poets, playwrights, short story writers) and those who died after 1959. | REF PN771 .C59 |
| Twentieth Century Literary Criticism (TCLC) | Excerpts of criticism of authors who died between 1900 and 1959. | REF PN771 .G27 |
| Dictionary of Literary Biography (DLB) | Biographical and bibliographical information from Ancient Greek Authors to Twentieth Century American Sports Writers. Each volume devoted to specific genre and/or time period. | REF PS 221 .D5 |
| Black Literature Criticism (BLC) | Excerpts of criticism for the most significant works of Black authors over the past 200 years. | REF PN771 .G27 |
| Poetry Criticism (PC) | Excerpts of criticism for world’s most significant poets. | REF PN1010 .P499 |
| Short Story Criticism (SSC) | Excerpts of criticism for works of major short fiction writers. | REF PN3373 .S56 |
| For Authors not included in Contemporary Authors, consult: | ||
| Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism (CMLC) | Excerpts of criticism of world authors who died before 1400. | REF PN610 .C53 |
| Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800 | Excerpts of criticism of authors who died between 1400 and 1799. | REF PN86 .L56 |
| Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism (NCLC) | Excerpts of criticism for authors who died between 1800 and 1899. | REF PN761 .N5 |
| Shakespearean Criticism (SC) | Excerpts of criticism and interpretation of William Shakespeare’s works. | PR2965 .S44 |
For more resources on Literary Criticism, visit the Non-Western Literature Research Guide.
Internet Resources
Bartleby.com - collection of great texts available online. The collection includes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and reference works.
Evaluating Web Resources (A brief guide to help you evaluate internet resources)
Last modified on: October 30, 2009, at 05:20 AM