Where to find good literary criticism

For notable authors, the library will have entire books of literary criticism. There may also be entire books of criticism on individual titles. Why use them? They usually have more depth and you can check the books out. Literary criticism books often are collections of pieces written by several critics, so you can get several viewpoints from one source.

How to find criticism on a specific author : Go to the Library Catalog and perform a Subject search by entering the author's name last name, first name. If there are books about the author listed, check to verify which campuses have them and if they are currently available for check out. A Google Books search can be invaluable for finding relevant information buried in books. Since Google Books can search through the whole text of a book title, you can uncover material that previously would have required you to read the whole book.

ASU Library acknowledges the sovereignty of these nations and seeks to foster an environment of success and possibility for Native American students and patrons.

We are advocates for the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge systems and research methodologies within contemporary library practice. Login to LibApps. Most Useful Literature Indexes. Indexes articles in the subjects of literature, language, linguistics, and folklore from journals, books, proceedings, dissertations, etc. Includes full text of journals on literature and literary criticism.

Literary criticism analyzes fiction, poetry, drama and some types of non-fiction by considering key issues such as plot, character, setting, theme, imagery, and voice. Articles in a scholarly journal will also include citations for other works that are referenced. Scholarly books, likewise, will document their sources and are usually written by someone affiliated with a college or university and published by a university press. The higher the number, the more likely it is that the article is influential—or at least controversial.

You can do a similar search to learn more about the reputation of a journal, book, or author. An ideal place to begin your search for literary criticism is with your college library, which will often have InfoGuides that will help you with research.

Make sure the source is relevant to your topic. Who is the intended audience? Is it too elementary? Too advanced? Scrutinize a variety of sources and find the ones that help you support your claims and form your rebuttals best. Authority: Is it authoritative? Who wrote it? Who published it? What sort of an organization is it? Does the domain name tell you anything?