What is Literary Criticism?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), literary criticism is defined as "the art or practice of judging and commenting on the qualities and character of a literary work". Literary criticism is written in a variety of formats including reviews, essays, research papers, and even dissertations. Literary criticism goes beyond just reading a text; you interpret and analyze what is written.
Databases for Literary Criticism
The following databases are great resources for researching literature including criticism, analysis and reviews. See the 'Search Tips' box on this page for further help in searching these databases:
- Literature Resource CenterSearch this database for literary analysis and criticism on literary works including short stories, poetry, general literature and more!
- JStorAn extensive database of scholarly journals. Literary content available back to the late 1800s.
Print Literary Criticism Sources
In addition to a variety of library databases (eResources), the MCC Library collections contain a variety of print resources that provide literary criticism and analysis. Be sure to ask for help at the Reference Desk if you need help locating or using these resources. Search the library catalog for additional resources.
Short Story CriticismCall Number: REF PN3373 S389127+ volumes of biographical and literary criticism of short stories.
Nineteenth Century Literature CriticismCall Number: REF PN761 .N56 V.216Over 200 volumes of literary criticism of poetry, novels, short stories and drama by authors who died between 1800-1899.
Short Stories for StudentsCall Number: REF PN3373 .S56Approximately 35 volumes of content, analysis and criticism on commonly studied short stories.
Poetry for StudentsCall Number: REF PN1101 .P6431 Volumes
Each volume provides analysis of poems frequently studied in literature courses.
Twentieth Century Literary CriticismCall Number: REF PN 771 T86Over 275 volumes of literary criticism of poetry, novels, short stories and drama by authors who died between 1900-1999.
Novels for StudentsCall Number: REF PN3385 .N6830+ volumes of literary and historical background of novels frequently studied in literature courses.
