ERIC ED357362: Modern British Literature: Sources for Criticism. A Research Guide.

28 Pages·1993·0.39 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 357 362
CS 213 816
AUTHOR
Van Noate, Judith, Comp.
TITLE
Modern British Literature: Sources for Criticism. A
Research Guide.
INSTITUTION
North Carolina Univ., Charlotte. J. Murrey Atkins
Library.
PUB DATE
1933
NOTE
28p.; Very small print on some pages may affect
legibility. For other guides in this series, see ED
329 982-989 and CS 213 815-817.
PUB TYPE
Guides
Non-Classroom Use (055)
Reference
Materials
Bibliographies (131)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
*Authors; College Libraries; *English Literature;
Higher Education; Library Guides; *Library Materials;
Library Skills; *Literary Criticism; *Reference
Materials
IDENTIFIERS
University of North Carolina Charlotte
ABSTRACT
This handout is a guide to library resources in the
J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University of North
Carolina-Charlotte, intended to help students find
sources of
criticism on Modern British Literature (long fiction, short fiction,
poetry, and drama). The guide explains important reference
sources in
the Atkins library reference collection and how to find biographical
and critical information in books and periodicals. The guide is
organized in 11 sections: (1) Reference Books (for
any author and all
forms of literature);
(2) Books (on individual authors and their
work); (3) Bibliographies on more than
one author (sources of
criticism--multi-genre);
(4) Short Stories; (5) Poetry;
(6) Drama;
(7) Book Reviews; (8) Play Reviews;
(9) Periodical Indexes; (10)
Abstracts; and (11) Essays in Books. (SR)
***********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that
can be made
from the original document.
***********************************************************************
MODERN BRITISH LITERATURE:
SOURCES FOR CRITICISM
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
Office of Educational Rsearch and Improvement
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
A RESEARCH GUIDE CENTER (ERIC)
(?kcedic, awc.t,
his document has been reproduced as
received from the person Or Organization
originating it
O Minor changes have been made to improve
reproduction quatity
Compiled by Judith Van Noate
Points of view oropimonsstatedinthisdocu.
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
ment do not necessarily represent officiat
Reference Libni,rian
OERI position or pdhcy
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
Reference Unit, Atkins Library, UNC-Charlotte
This guide is intended to help you find sources of criticism on
Modern British literature (long fiction, short fiction, poetry,
It explains important reference sources in the Atkins
drama).
library reference collection and how to find biographical and
critical information in books and periodicals.
is arranged as follows:
It
REFERENCE BOOKS
1.
(may be used for any author
1-5
and all forms of literature)
BOOKS on individual authors and their work
6
2.
BIBLIOGRAPHIES on more than one author.
3.
6-7
multi-genre
(sources of criticism
SHORT STORIES - sources for criticism
8
4.
9-12
POETRY - sources for criticism
5.
12-15
sources for criticism
DRAMA
6.
17
BOOK REVIEWS
8.
18
PLAY REVIEWS
9.
19-24
PERIODICAL INDEXES
10.
co
25
ABSTRACTS
11.
er)
26
ESSAYS IN BOOKS
10.
REFERENCE BOOKS
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
about an author and are not
If you are looking for information
if you need some basic information
sure where to begin, or
following are good
about a type or genre of literature, the
sources.
Literature
The Cambridge Guide to English
Ref
PR
Biographical--a good concise overview if you are
85
having trouble with where to start.
C28
1983
Literature
The Oxford Companion to English
Ref
PR
This a good source of biographical information
21
Gives an overview of the
in dictionary format.
H3
Especially useful if you
author's life and work.
1983
with a topic.
are not sure where to start
"encyclopedias" to the
There are many other "companions" and
literatures of various nationalities in the reference
subheading
You can look in ALADDIN under the
collection.
Example: Canadian literature--dictionaries;
"dictionaries."
Australian literature--dictionaries.
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL INFORMATION
Gale Literary Criticism Series
This group of reference works provides a comprehensive source
Atkins
for biographical and critical information on authors.
Authors in
Library owns all of the titles on this list except
The various volumes in the series cover Antiquity to
the News.
this
Use these for all of the authors studied in
the present.
course.
include:
Those that may be most useful for your research
Contemporary Literary Criticism (CLC)
Ref
PN
CLC "presents significant passages from published
771
criticism of works by today's creative authors."
C59
Citations are given for each excerpt (you can then
journal with
go to P.A.S.L. or ALADDIN to find the
Entries are
the full text of the criticism).
Use the "Cumulative Index to
several pages long.
Autnors" at the end of the last volume in the
series for the fullest coverage of an author.
Here is the entry for Tom Stoppard:
Stoppard, Tom
CLC 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 15, 29, 34, 63
1937-
...
See also CA 81-84: DLB 13; DLB-Y 85
Dictionary of Literary Biography (DLB)
Ref
.
PN
Biographical--a good overview of an author's life
451
Selected
Articles are fairly long.
and work.
D52
volumes of the Dictionary of Literary Biography
1978
deal with authors of specific literary movements
Use the index in the back of the
and genres.
latest volume or the "Index to Authors" in the last
volume of CLC.
Dictionary of Literary Biography
Ref
Documentary Series
(DLB-DS)
PS
129
"Depicting the Lives and Work of Authors- -
D48
Including Photographs, Manuscript Facsimiles,
1982
Letters, Notebooks, Interviews, and Contemporary
Each volume is
Assessments"--from frontispiece.
Many
devoted to only a few major authors.
illustrations.
2
(1
Dictionary of Literary Biography--Yearbook
Ref
PS
literary
Each volume of DLB-Y## summarizes "current
221
Entries give an
activity" for that year.
D5
and
update of the author's work, discus new books
D5
(with
other writings and include a bibliography
full citations) of the author's publications,
interviews, etc. for the period encompassed by the
yearbook.
Short Story Criticism
Ref
PN
These first two volumes of a proposed, ongoing
3373
Entries consist of
cover twenty-six major authors.
S56
excerpts of criticism with full citations (you may
the
then go to P.A.S.L. or ALADDIN to locate
Entries are
complete text of the criticism).
There is a Story Title Index
several pages long.
to
and a Cumulative Index which cross references
the entire Gale series.
Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism
Ref
PN
who
TCLC is arranged like CLC but covers authors
771
died between 1900-1960 while the latter covers
T83
living.
authors-who are, for the most part, still
citations.:.Entries
Excerpts of criticism with full
In the case of multiple inclusions of an
are long.
author, criticism is taken from different sources.
3
Criticism
The Chelsea House Library of Literary
"the entire
A thirty-seven volume series designed to cover
Entries include
literature."
range of British and American
extracts and
brief biographies and two longer sections of
and Works
Extracts are grouped into Personal, General,
essays.
and
interview
categories and include material from "memoirs,
reviews of
biographies, short theoretical statements and
The essay sections are reserved for more
individual works."
Full citations are given for both
extensive, in-depth studies.
There is a list of references for
extracts and essays.
"Additional Reading" at the end of each volume.
Modern British Literature is included in:
Twentieth Century British Literature
Ref
PR
.[C]riticism of modern authors from the
II
473
.
.
Includes
United Kingdom and its former colonies.
T84
excerpts from a variety of sources--magazines,
1985
journals and book length studies, essays, passages
list
from memoirs, interviews and biographies, and
Arranged
of sources for additional reading.
alphabetically by author in five volumes with a
Biographical Supplement and Index.
4
ADDITIONAL BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES
British Women Writers
Ref
PR
This is an important and up-to-date biocritical
111
Entries are
source for British women authors.
B75
lists of
one to several pages long and include
1989
major primary works and references for further
Includes many authors not discussed in
research.
British Writers.
British Writers
Ref
PR
This. is an introduction to the work of "Writers
85
who have made a significant contribution to English
B688
In spite of the editor's claim, many
literature."
important contemporary British authors are not
The scope is biographical and
included.
Entries contain a bibliography of the
analytical.
author's work in chronological order as well as a
list of biographical and critical works.
The index in Vol. 8 refers to everywhere an author
The long articles on authors are
is mentioned.
located in the volumes which list their names on
Entries are arranged chronologically by
the back.
author's birth date.
Magill: Critical Survey of Long Fiction
Ref
PR
It consists of long
This is a multi-volume set.
821
biographical and analytical entries with
C7
background information on the works and their
1983
sources.
5
BOOKS
BOOKS ON INDIVIDUAL AUTHORS
Although proper names for people and places, etc. are not
included in Library of Congress Subject Headings, they can be
Therefore, to
used as subjects in ALADDIN or the card catalog.
find biographies, books of criticism or bibliographies
concerning the works of a specific author, simply type s/ (for
the author's
a subject search of that author), and then enter
At this point, scan the list of
last name, first initial.
entries until you find the appropriate subheading (for example
--bibliography, --criticism and interpretation, --biography)
s/auden w h
Example:
SUBJECTS
VTLS/ALADDIN
J. Murrey Atkins Library- -
YOU SEARCHED: s/auden w h
1907-1973.
Hugh),
(Wystan
16 Auden, W. H.
1>
Aesthetics.
1907-1973
(Wystan Hugh),
1 Auden, W. H.
2.
Bibliography.
(Wystan
1907 -1973
Hugh),
3 Auden, W. H.
3.
Biography.
(Wystan Hugh),
1907 -1973
2 Auden, W. H.
4.
Correspondence.
1907 -1973 --
(Wystan Hugh),
1 Auden, W. H.
5.
Criticism and
(Wystan
6 Auden, W. H.
1907 -1973
Hugh),
6.
interpretation.
INDIVIDUAL BIBLIOGRAPHIES
If you are doing in depth research on an author, the best place
to begin your search is with a bibliography devoted to the work
Bibliographies will frequently be divided up
of that author.
by the titles of poems, stories etc. and will direct you to
Disadvantages are that
criticism on a particular work.
bibliographies may not be up to date; you will'fleedto use
additional sources if you need recent or .Current criticism.
Also, they are not available on every author.
Use ALADDIN to find bibliographies concerning the works of a
Type s/ (for a subject search for books about
specific author.
first
an author), and then enter the author's last name and
At this point, scan the list of the
Example:
initial.
author's name and birth (and death) dates for the subheading
--bibliography:
s/stoppard,tom
SUBJECTS
VTLS/ALADDIN
J. Murrey Atkins Library-
YOU SEARCHED: s /stoppard,tom
Stoppard, Tom.
1>
Bibliography.
1 Stoppard, Tom
2.
5 Stoppard, Tom Criticism and interpretation.
3.
At present, ALADDIN contains records for all books
Note:
ONLY RECORDS NOT YET
processed by the library since 1977.
ENTERED INTO THE ALADDIN SYSTEM CAN BE FOUND THROUGH THE CARD
THUS, ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE LIBRARY'S
CATALOG.
HOLDINGS CAN BE FOUND BY USING THE CARD CATALOG.
If you need additional help with locating books, please ask a
librarian at the 1st floor reference desk.
6
BIBLIOGRAPHIES ON MORE THAN ONE AUTHOR
finding information on
These will be useful primarily for
They consist of lists of references to
writers of fiction.
criticism in periodical articles, books and essays.
The British Novel: Conrad to the Present
Ref
critical
Index to bibliographies, biographies and
2014
Use for in-depth research.
works on authors.
F55
Published in 1973.
W54
The British Novel: Scott through Hardy
Ref
Conrad to the
Same format as The British Novel:
2014
Present.
F5
W37
English Fiction, 1900-1950
Ref
Briefly annotated.
This looks quite useful.
2014
Two volumes.
Published in 1979.
F4
R5
English Novel Explication
Ref
2014
Gives references to
Use for major authors.
F5
Arranged
critical articles in books and journals.
P26
alphabetically by author and then by title of
Entries are
Updated by supplements.
novel.
This is an excellent source to use for
extensive.
She is
in-depth research on Doris Lessing.
included in the original volume and all of the
supplements.
The English Novel: Select Bibliographical
Ref
Guides
Z
2014
Published in
Includes commentaries on works.
F5
1979.
D94
index to Literary' Biography
Ref
Use for
International in scope, comprehensive.
6511
Symbols listed with
less well known authors.
H38
entries are explained in the front of volume one.
Literary Criticism and Authors' Biographies: An
Ref
Annotated Index
Z
6511
"This index will help you find book chapters about
L56
Annotated.
the lives and works of authors."
Literary Criticism Index
Ref
This source is useful for finding a large number of
6511
references on an author or on an individual work.
W44
However it involves a two step process as most of
1984
the entries are to bibliographies, checklists, etc.
and the user must go to the books and journals
cited in the second source for the actual
Atkins Library has most of the sources.
criticism.
Use this one if you are having trouble finding
sufficient information in other bibliographies.
Magill's Bibliography of Literary Criticism
Ref
This is an excellent source for criticism.
6511
Arranged by author with individual works arranged
M25
Four volumes; title index in
under author entries.
volume 4.
BIBLIOGRAPHIES ON WOMEN AUTHORS
Bibliography of Women and Literature
Ref
A comprehensive guide to articles and books
2014
written between 1974 and 1981 on women authors
W65
The "Index of Authors" (pp.
writing in English.
B66
319-342) gives entry numbers for specific writers.
1982
There are several pages of entries on Doris
Lessing. This will be useful for finding sources
written prior to 1981.
8