English Literature

Edited by Paul Schellinger.
Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1998. 2 volumes (A-L and M-Z).
Facts about the novel, from technical terms and varieties of the genre, to critical approaches, the history of fiction, famous authors, and well-known titles (such as Anna Karenin) abound in this 2-volume set. Numbering in total more than 1,500 pages, the encyclopedia contains 650 articles substantial enough for a student to get a good introductory grasp of an author, concept or work. Some entries focus on the development of the novel in specific countries. Use this resource when you need a more detailed treatment of a novelist or novel than a more general guide-such as The Oxford Companion to English Literature-provides.

Edited by Frank N. Magill.
Revised second edition. Pasadena, CA: Salem, 1996. 12 volumes.
What distinguishes Masterplots from other guides is its concentration on detailed plot summaries (much more thorough than in the Oxford Companion to English Literature), critical evaluations, and bibliographies for famous novels, poems, and plays dating from ancient times to 1991. This source contains more than 1,800 articles, arranged alphabetically by the title of each work. Volume 12 includes chronological, geographical, title and author indexes. For entries on more recent or lesser-known works, try the Oxford Companion to English Literature, and other guides listed here.