LibGuides: English Literature Subject Guide: Literary Criticism

Books on Criticism

Not sure what literary criticism is all about? Have some questions about how to use it? Try these books!

Literary theory and criticism : an Oxford guide
Call Number: PN86 .L555 2006
Literary criticism : an introduction to theory and practice
Call Number: PN81 .B666 2003
Contemporary literary theory
Call Number: E-book

Literary Criticism

You can find critiques, analysis, interpretations, and evaluations of literature in many places. Journal articles, book chapters, and other resources provide access to literary criticism. Some of the best ways to find literary criticism are:

Literary Reference Center This link opens in a new window
Information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and timeframes.
MLA Directory of Periodicals This link opens in a new window
List of periodicals in literature, language, linguistics, and folklore that are covered regularly in the MLA International Bibliography.

Literature Criticism Series

Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism (NCLC)
Call Number: REF PN 761. N5
Multi-volume resource containing literary criticism about authors who died between 1800 and 1899. For each author, there is biographical information (including major works) and criticisms that have been written about that author’s works. Every fourth volume focuses on various literary topics, such as anti-apartheid literature, the new humanists, etc. Cumulative author, nationality, title, and topic indexes. (Writers may appear in more than one volume)

Published on an on-going basis, these series provide collected literary criticism and can be browsed in the library's reference room.

These long series are shelved under the windows. Ask for help if you need it!

Twentieth-Century Literature Criticism (TCLC)
Call Number: REF PN 94. T83
Multi-volume resource containing literary criticism about authors who died between 1900 and 1999. For each author, there is biographical information (including major works) and criticisms that have been written about that author’s works. Every fourth volume focuses on various literary topics, such as anti-apartheid literature, the new humanists, etc. Cumulative author, nationality, title, and topic indexes. (Writers may appear in more than one volume)
Contemporary Literary Criticism (CLC)
Call Number: REF PN 771. C59
Multi-volume resource containing literary criticisms about authors who died in 2000 or later or who are still living. For each author, there is biographical information (including major works) and criticisms that have been written about that author’s works. Cumulative author, nationality, and topic indexes. (Writers may appear in more than one volume)
Shakespearean Criticism (SC)
Call Number: REF PF 2965. S43
Multi-volume resource providing literary criticism on Shakespeare’s plays, poetry, costume and set design, and the authorship controversy.

Finding Books

Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations is a series of over seventy different books which collect criticism on particular titles. OhioLINK offers hundreds of copies of these books.

To see if there is one on your topic, choose 'keyword' and try searching for your book title and "Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations".
In the Muskingum or OhioLINK catalog, add the words 'criticism and interpretation' to the name of your author or title.