Book Reviews

Book reviews are useful for determining a book’s contemporary reception. Several full-text resources for locating book reviews are available online, notably New York Times and the Times Literary Supplement. For other newspapers or periodicals in hard copy or on microfilm, check CATNYP.

Book Review Digest (New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1905- ) *R-*GAA 98-1102

Includes citations (with approximate word counts) and brief excerpts from reviews. Covers periodicals published in the United States, Great Britain, and Canada. Useful for popular fiction and nonfiction, less so for scholarly works. Annual cumulations from 1905- are available in Room 315. Current issues are in the Current Periodicals Division, Room 108. Also available electronically from 1983 to the present as part of the Selected Electronic Resource Menu.

EBSCOhost Research Databases [electronic resource]

Online reference system offering a variety of databases, many featuring full-text articles. Provides access to the MLA, and is useful for locating book reviews.

Reiman, Donald H., comp. The Romantics reviewed; contemporary reviews of British Romantic writers. (New York, Garland Publishing, 1972), 3 v. in 9, JFF 73-251

Features reviews published in British periodicals, 1793-1824.Contents include: pt. A. The Lake poets. 2 v. - pt. B. Byron and Regency society poets. 5 v. - pt. C. Shelley, Keats and London radical writers. 2 v. These volumes must be requested from the stacks.

Ward, William Smith Literary reviews in British periodicals, 1789-1797; a bibliography: with a supplementary list of general (non-review) articles on literary subjects (New York: Garland Pub., 1979) *RS-NCB 87-6984

Ward, William Smith Literary reviews in British periodicals, 1798-1820; a bibliography. With a supplementary list of general (non-review) articles on literary subjects (New York: Garland Publishing, 1972), 2v.. *RS-NCB 73-1568

Ward, William Smith Literary reviews in British periodicals, 1821-1826; a bibliography: with a supplementary list of general (non-review) articles on literary subjects (New York: Garland Pub., 1977) *RS-NCB 87-6901

This 4-volume set is essential for locating early criticism. Books are organized alphabetically by author, then by publication date, with reviews alphabetical by periodical title.

Wellesley index to Victorian periodicals, 1824-1900 / Walter E. Houghton, ed. (Toronto, Buffalo: University of Toronto Press, c1966-c1989), 5v., *R-*D

For each of the 43 indexed British periodicals there is a table of contents and identification of contributors, a bibliography of each contributor, and an index of pseudonyms. (Does not indicate reviews as such, unless the title of the book or books is mentioned in the article’s title).

For more information on finding Book Reviews, see the online guide.