“Criticism asks what literature is, what it does, and what it is worth."
Encyclopedia Britannica

“Literary criticism analyzes, interprets, and evaluates works of literature. Though you most often find criticism in the form of an essay, in-depth book reviews may also be considered criticism. Criticism may analyze an individual work of literature. It may also examine an author’s body of work. “ Joyce Valenza

Remember to check online databases available at your school or public library that specialize in literary criticism resources such as:
·          Literature Resource Center (full-text criticism, overviews, biography)
·          Scribner Writers  Biographical and critical essays on the lives and works of important authors from around the world
·          Twayne’s Authors  In-depth introductions to the lives and works of writers, the history and influence of literary movements and to the development of literary genres

Most of these online resources are from Dr. Joyce Valenza’s website.

·          Literary Criticism Collection (Internet Public Library) http://www.ipl.org/ref/litcrit/
·          Literary History http://www.literaryhistory.com An index to free articles on English and American literature, mixed bag of scholarly and popular
·          Literary Index http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/english/flackcj/LitIndex.html
·          Literary Resources on the Net http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Lit/
·          LitLinks http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/litlinks/
·          PAL: Perspectives in American Literature--A Research and Reference Guide http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/table.html
·          American Collection http://www.ncteamericancollection.org/americanwritinggateway.htm
·          Literary Movements http://www.gonzaga.edu/faculty/campbell/enl311/litfram.html

Book Review Web Sites

·          New York Times Books~ http://www.nytimes.com/books
·          New York Times Historical http://hn.bigchalk.com/hnweb/hn/do/search
·          Amazon.com Book Search (External Reviews) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/catalog-searching.html
·          Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com
·          Booklist http://www.ala.org/booklist/
·          Bookspot http://bookspot.com
·          Classic Review Index http://www.TheAtlantic.com/atlantic/atlweb/classrev/crindex.htm