English Literature
This guide provides a general introduction to Library and information resources for the study of literature in English.
Dictionaries, companions, encyclopedias
- The American Novel by Historical treatment of the development of the “Great American Novel.”Call Number: Online access from Bartleby.comPublication Date: NEW YORK: MACMILLAN, 1921 ; NEW YORK: BARTLEBY.COM, 2000
- The Cambridge companion to British fiction : 1980-2018 byCall Number: Online accessISBN: 9781108649865Publication Date: 2019
- The Cambridge companion to fantasy literature byCall Number: Online access & print copyISBN: 9780521429597Publication Date: 2012
- The Cambridge History of English and American Literature : An Encyclopedia in 18 Volumes by The most important work of literary history and criticism ever published on writings in the English language. The Cambridge History contains over 303 chapters and 11,000 pages, with essay topics ranging from poetry, fiction, drama and essays to history, theology and political writing. The set encompasses a wide selection of writing on orators, humorists, poets, newspaper columnists, religious leaders, economists, Native Americans, song writers, and even non-English writing, such as Yiddish and Creole.Call Number: Online access from Bartleby.comPublication Date: NEW YORK: PUTNAM, 1907–21 ; NEW YORK: BARTLEBY.COM, 2000
- A Companion to Comparative Literature byCall Number: Online accessISBN: 9781444342789Publication Date: 2011
- Companion to Comparative Literature, World Literatures, and Comparative Cultural Studies byCall Number: Online accessISBN: 9789382993803Publication Date: 2013
- Dictionary of literary biography The series provides reliable information on authors and their works in an easy to understand, engaging format, while placing writers in the larger perspective of literary history. Dictionary of Literary Biography includes the main series, documentary, and yearbook volumes.Call Number: Online access
- A Dictionary of Literary Symbols byCall Number: Online accessISBN: 9781316771426Publication Date: 2017
- The Edinburgh dictionary of modernism byCall Number: Online accessISBN: 9780748637027Publication Date: 2018
- The Penguin dictionary of critical theory byCall Number: ECA Library ECA Library - (STANDARD LOAN) - Level 0 PN44.5 Mac.ISBN: 0140513698Publication Date: 2001
- The Reader’s Dictionary of Authors : The Library of the World’s Best Literature by The more than 6,800 short biographies of world authors, with particular attention to the 1,000 primary authors in The Library, have been meticulously updated to include accurate years of birth and death—and feature easy-to-read pronunciations, particularly of non-English names.Call Number: Online access from Bartleby.comPublication Date: NEW YORK: WARNER LIBRARY Co., 1917; NEW YORK: BARTLEBY.COM, 2015
- The Routledge Companion to World Literature byCall Number: Online accessISBN: 9780415570220Publication Date: 2012
Johnson's English Dictionary
A Dictionary of the English Language, written by Samuel Johnson and published in 1755, has special significance in the history of the English language and literature. It is often referred to as Johnson's Dictionary.
Printed version
The Centre for Research Collections in the Main Library holds a copy of the 2-volume set of the first edition published in 1755:
Johnson, Samuel. A Dictionary of the English Language: in which the words are deduced from their originals: and illustrated in their different significations : by examples from the best writers : to which are prefixed, a History of the Language, and an English Grammar. Printed by W. Strahan, for J. and P. Knapton; T. and T. Longman, C. Hitch and L. Hawes, A. Millar; and R. and J. Dodsley, 1755.
Scanned version
The digitised image version of Johnson's Dictionary is available via Eighteenth Century Collections Online, or click here to follow the link in DiscoverEd.
Transcribed version
You can also access a transcribed version at https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com:
A Dictionary of the English Language: a digital edition of the 1775 classic by Samuel Johnson
Gale Reference Complete - Literature
The following resources within Gale Reference Complete provides access to hundreds of reference works on world literature including British and American literature:
The resource contains 63 series titles, several hundred volumes of reference works on literature, including multi-volume reference works on British and American authors, Nobel Prize Laureates, and on literary genres such as novels, poetry, drama and short stories. The large series include Contemporary Authors Series, Vol. 206 (2003) - 421 (2019), Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series, Vol. 114 (2003) - 334 (2019), World Literature and Its Times: Profiles of Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events That Influenced Them Vol. 1 - 8 which examine the relationship between the political/social climate during which books were written and the works themselves.
Bibliographies
- Check-list of works of British authors printed abroad, in languages other than English, to 1641 byCall Number: Online accessPublication Date: 1975