French Literature

By A. Levi.
Chicago; London: St. James, 1992-1994. 2 Volumes.
An excellent starting point for information and criticism on novels, poetry, plays and other genres. Major works are summarized. Includes biographical information and bibliographic references.

By J. Birkett and J. Kearns.
New York: St. martin's 1997.
This one-volume guide provides an overview of themes and trends in studies related to French literature from the Renaissance to modern times. Each chapter is divided into periods and further subdivided into literary genres. A final chapter treats fringe groups including women, la francophonie au Quebec, Maghreb, Caribbean etc.

By David Coward.
London: Blackwell Publishers, 2002.
This lively, readable, yet scholarly overview of 'popular' literature (eg. the best seller, humorous writing, the bande dessinée) is most useful for those already possessing some familiarity with the subject. At 606 pages, this guide links the development of literature to the mentalities and social conditions which produced it, exploring topics such as the socio-economic context of writing, the conditions of publishing, the status of authors, censorship and popular reading and writing.

By Morris Bishop and Kenneth T. Rivers.
Newburyport, MA: Focus Publishing, 2005. 5 Volumes.
This 5-volume set lets you browse basic details about the upper-crust of French literature from the Middle Ages through the late 20th Century. The volumes consist of: The Middle Ages and the Sixteenth Century; The Secenteenth Century; The Eighteenth Century; The Nineteenth Century; and The Twentieth Century. With illustrations, selections from French texts, background information, timelines, footnotes and bibliographies, this set provides an excellent historical overview of French literature. Although there are no indexes, each volume's contents page is thorough.

By John Taylor.
New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2005.
Comprising more than 40 introductory essays of contemporary French writers (such as Yves Bonnefoy, Nathalie Sarraute, Roland Barthes and Marie Redonnet), this guide will help anyone seeking a broad overview of French literature from the 20th Century onwards. Do not look for biographical details here (though some exist), as the articles focus more on the works than the writers. The guide contains bibliographies of the writers' works.