8. Literary Theory and Criticism
The important surveys, subject dictionaries and encyclopedias, bibliographies and selected print and electronic journals are described here. For a listing of print and online journals, see Part 7: Literary Theory and Criticism of the Comparative Literature: Library and Internet Research Guide.
For other sources, see the companion guides:
Comparative Literature: Library and Internet Research Guide
Literature: Library and Internet Research Guide
Selected internet sites are also listed in the Literary Theory link on Harvard's Department of Romance Languages and Literatures French Online Resources web page.
Core Subject Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
The Edinburgh encyclopaedia of modern criticism and theory / edited by JulianWolfreys. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2002.
Widener: RR 3005.31.15
"Provides extensive coverage of related and contextual discourses, as well as critical overviews of the work of major figures responsible…for the development of those discourses in the now-related areas of philosophy, poetics, politics, aesthetics, linguistics and psychoanalysis." Three-part arrangement of the contents with collections of articles on Critical Discourse in Europe, Theories and Practice of Criticism in North America and Criticism, Literary and Cultural Studies in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Glossary of terms.
The Johns Hopkins guide to literary theory and criticism
/ edited by Michael Groden and Martin Kreiswirth. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins
University Press, 1994.
Widener: RR3005.31.13
Lamont: REF.ROOM PN81.Z99 J64 1994x
Lamont: PN81.Z99 J64 1994x
Includes contributions from literary theorists, philosophers, political theorists, anthropologists, psychologists and psychoanalysts. Articles on postmodernism, postcolonial cultural studies and individual authors and theorists; international in scope. Useful entries on types of theory and criticism, such as French theory and criticism, feminist theory and criticism, etc.
Johns Hopkins Guide to literary theory and criticism
The online resource is searchable by keyword and browsable by an alphabetical
list of entries, a listing of ideas, history and theory entries, a topics
index and a name index. Each entry has selected hyper-links to other individuals'
entries or related topics and themes and the text is updated more frequently
than the print edition (above).
The Norton anthology of theory and criticism
/ Vincent B. Leitch, general editor. 1st ed. New York: Norton, 2001.
Widener: RR 3005.31.17
Widener: WID-LC PN86 .N67 2001
A wide-ranging collection of selections from 148 literary theorists and critics (arranged in chronological order), covering developments in theory and criticism over the centuries. An excellent introduction gives an overview of the field of theory through its main historical periods, movements and schools, issues and key terms.
Other Subject Dictionaries
The Cambridge history of literary criticism. Cambridge [England]; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989-
Widener: WID-LC PN86 .C27 1989
Lamont: PN86 .C27 1989; Child Memorial ChM 1012.4.2
The Columbia dictionary of modern literary and cultural criticism / Joseph Childers and Gary Hentzi, general editors. New York: Columbia University Press, 1995.
Widener: RR 3005.31.30; Child Memorial: ChM 1007.18.4
A basic reader's companion with concise definitions for non-specialist and specialist alike. General bibliography, p. 325-351.
Hawthorn, Jeremy. A glossary of contemporary literary theory.
4th ed. London: Arnold; New York: Co-published in the United States by
Oxford University Press, 2000.
Widener: RR 3005.31.11
Lamont: PN44.5 .H37 2000x
A selection of terms from "about 1970" to the present. Prefatory material on using the glossary contains useful groupings of terms according to their intellectual associations or origins, groupings related to key concepts, such as discourse analysis, narratology, Postcolonialism, etc., a keyword guide useful in further research. Other useful glossaries and dictionaries, key specialist sources are included as well as an extensive general bibliography of books, book chapters and articles.
Cultural theory: The key concepts / edited by Andrew Edgar and Peter Sedgwick. Rev ed. London; New York: Routledge, 2002.
Widener: RR 3005.31.16
Edgar, Andrew. Cultural theory: the key thinkers / Andrew Edgar and Peter Sedgwick. London; New York: Routledge, 2002.
Widener: WID-LC HM621 .E34 2003
The two companion volumes include succint articles on key concepts and theorists accompanied by short bibliographies. Boldface references to other related terms in each entry. Further readings listed. Glossary, extensive general bibliography and name, subject indexes.
Le portatif d'histoire littéraire / [édité par] Robert Melançon, Elisabeth Nardout-Lafarge, Stéphane Vachon. Montréal: Dép. d'études françaises, Université de Montréal 1998.
Widener: Harvard Depository Ordered-Received; request via online
form
Twentieth-Century European Cultural Theorists, First Series ( 2001) has bio-bibliographical articles on prominent theorists including Adorno, Arendt, Cixous, Derrida, Foucault, Habermas, Kristeva, Levi-Strauss, Lyotard, de Saussure and others.
Widener: RR 3129.5 vol. 242 (in the Dictionary of Literary Biography series)
Twentieth-century European cultural theorists. Second series (2004) includes articles on more theorists, including articles on Barthes, Blanchot, Deleuze, Lacan, Sartre, among others.
Widener: RR 3129.5 vol. 296 (in the Dictionary of Literary Biography series)
Bibliographies
Baker, William. Recent work in critical theory, 1989-1995: an annotated bibliography. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1996.
Widener: WID-LC PN81.Z99 B35 1996x
This source includes the wide range of disciplines and genres that now constitute critical practice. The annotated bibliography is arranged by subject, with chapters devoted to: General Criticism, Semiotics, Narratology, Rhetoric and Language Systems, Postmodernism and Deconstruction, Reader-Response and Phenomenological Criticism, Feminist Criticism and Gender Studies, Psychoanalytic Criticism and Historical Criticism. Author and subject indexes.
Orr, Leonard. Research in critical theory since 1965: a classified bibliography. New York: Greenwood Press, 1989.
Widener: RR3003.1
A classified bibliography covering more common categories such as structuralism, semiotics, deconstruction, and feminist criticism, but also including citations for works on narratology, narrative text-grammar, narrative semiotics, reader-response criticism and reception aesthetics. Includes dissertations.
The year's work in critical and cultural theory. Oxford: Published for the English Association by Blackwell Publishers, 1994-
Widener: WID-LC PN80 .Y43
A companion volume to the Year's work in English, developed to recognize the broadening of the field. Part 1 covers the year's work by subject (discourse analysis, film theory, historicism, theories of reading and reception, postmodernism, queer theories/culture, etc.) Part 2 is a collection of essays on current theoretical issues and debates in the realms of culture and communication and has evolved over the years to include contemporary topics such as Visual Cultural Studies, Virtual Cultures, and Culture, Society and Human Genetics. Books received sections.
Finding Specialized Sources
**To find specific titles in HOLLIS, you may Browse Subject beginning with…
French literature--History and criticism--Theory, etc.
Criticism--France--History--20th century
or
Literature-- History and criticism--Theory, etc.
Other examples of more specific subject headings (with topical or geographic subdivisions);
Feminist literary criticism
Deconstruction
Deconstruction (Literary analysis)
Discourse analysis (Literary)
Discourse analysis (Narrative)
Formalism (Literary analysis)
Homosexuality and literature
Homosexuality--Philosophy
Lesbian feminist theory
Narration (Rhetoric)
New criticism
Structuralism (Literary analysis)
Poststructuralism
Postcolonialism
Psychoanalysis and literature
Reader-response criticism
Literature and society
Psychology and literature
etc.
Internet Sources
See Part 10: Selected Internet Resources of the Comparative Literature guide for more sites and electronic journals. See also Part 10 of this guide.