The novel has been called "[perhaps] the most difficult of all fictional forms to define because of its multiplicity of modes" (Magill, 1983, p. 3347). In The Rise of the Novel (1957), Ian Watt argues that attention to individual characterization, the development of characters over time, detailed presentation of the environment, and a primary concern with the "social world" all distinguish the novel from other literary genres. As with all literary genres, the study of long fiction involves an element of critical analysis. The resources listed in this guide will help you to identify items of interest for the critical study of the genre. For more information, see the Library Guide to Literary Criticism.
To Find Books
Use the MERLIN Library Catalog and the MOBIUS Union Catalog to find resources relevant to your research. Relevant works can be found using subject headings (Library of Congress) such as:
- American Fiction
- American Fiction - 20th Century
- American Fiction - Women Authors
- Detective and Mystery Stories
- English Fiction
- Fiction
- Fiction - Religious Aspects
- Fiction - Social Aspects
- Fantasy Fiction
- Russian Fiction - History and Criticism
- Science Fiction
- Utopias - Fiction
Studies of the work of a single author, or biographical studies of fiction writers can also be found using subject headings such as:
- American Fiction - African-American Authors
- Novelists
- Novelists, American
- Novelists, American - Biography
- Novelists, English - 19th Century
- Women Novelists
Finally, remember that works relevant to important authors can also be found using the author's name as a subject heading, for example:
- Wharton, Edith, 1862-1937 - Criticism and Interpretation
- Fitzgerald, F. Scott (Francis Scott), 1896-1940 - Biography
Hint: Material relevant to a particular author may be found by doing a "keyword" search using the author's name (e.g., "hemingway and criticism," "dos passos and biography").
To find the location of a book in Miller Nichols Library, see the Location Guide.
To Find Articles
Remote (off-campus) access to databases is available only to UMKC students, faculty, and staff. All other users must access online resources within the Libraries. Begin searching by selecting a database. After selection you will be prompted to provide a UMKC Single Sign-On user name and password OR a 9-digit UMKC ID number followed by the letter k (example: 0123456789k) and last name, as needed.
-
Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost) 1975 - present.
Save to del.icio.us
Selected full text 1975 - present.
This multidisciplinary database indexes and abstracts journals in a broad range of subjects. Full text is available for a large proportion of the titles. A high percentage of titles are peer-reviewed. Dates of coverage vary widely by title. All content of Academic Search Elite is included in this resource.
- MLA International Bibliography (Chadwyck-Healey) 1884 - present. Save to del.icio.usAn index to scholarship in literature, linguistics, film, folklore, and cultural
studies. The print version of this bibliography is available in the Miller Nichols
Library and
covers 1921 - 1999. The location and call number are Reference Index Wall Z7006
.M64. See the MLA
Directory of Periodicals for a list of periodicals indexed.
- ISI Web of Science
Note: This database is no longer be available. Permits multidisciplinary searching for articles from international academic journals in the sciences, social sciences, and the arts and humanities. This combined database for the Science Citation Index, the Social Sciences Citation Index, and the Arts & Humanities Citation Index offers cited reference searching. Link to ISI Web of Science user's guide. - OmniFile V Full Text (Wilson) 1982 - present. Save to del.icio.us
Selected full text 1994 - present.Provides indexing, abstracts, and some full-text from five of Wilson's full-text indexes: General Science Full Text, Humanities Full Text, Readers' Guide Full Text, Social Sciences Full Text, and Wilson Business Full Text. - JSTOR 1838 - present. Save to del.icio.us
Full text. Coverage varies by title.Contains fully searchable scanned articles from selected journals in a broad range of disciplines, including African-American studies, art, ecology, economics, education, history, law, literature, music, general science, sociology, and statistics. (To see a complete list of discipines and journal titles, link to the JSTOR browse list.) Covers the full run of journals from the first issue of volume one; however, the most recent three to five years of journals are not generally available.
NOTE: To find the full text of articles or other information that you have identified using the databases and indexes above, visit the Libraries' Website on Resources for Finding Journals and Articles.
University Libraries Photocopying and Printing Services
Reference Sources: Encyclopedias, Histories and Criticisms, Bibliographies
Reference sources are useful for locating background information, definitions, general descriptions, and basic facts. Use these books to help you select or focus your research topic.
All call numbers in this guide refer to the UMKC Miller Nichols Library, unless otherwise noted. Titles are linked to the corresponding MERLIN Library Catalog record.
Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
| Contemporary Gay American Novelists: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook | Ref PS374 .H63 C66 |
| Dictionary of Literary Biography Series | Ready Ref PN451 .D43 v.2 Ready Ref PN451 .D43 v.6 Ready Ref PN451 .D43 vols. 9-11 |
History and Criticism
| The American Novel: A Checklist of Twentieth-Century Criticism (2 vols.) | Ref Z1231 .F4 G4 |
| American Novelists Revisited: Essays in Feminist Criticism | PS374 .W6 A45 |
| The Columbia History of the American Novel | PS371 .C7 |
| The Continental Novel: A Checklist of Criticism in English, 1967-1980 | Ref Z5916 .F57 |
| Critical Survey of Long Fiction (8 vols.) | Ref PN3451 .C7 |
| The
English Novel: Twentieth Century Criticism (2 vols.) |
Ref Z2014 .F4 D86 |
| Minor American Novelists | PS372 .M48 |
| The Modern American Novel, Malcolm Bradbury | PS379 .B67 |
Bibliographies
| The American Novel Through Henry James | Z1231 .F4 H64 |
| Contemporary Novelists | Ref PR883 .C64 |
For further assistance, please contact the
Miller Nichols Library Reference Desk at (816) 235-1534.
