French Literature

Edited by P. France.
Oxford: Clarendon Press: NY: Oxford English Press, 1995.
The Companion is an excellent introductory guide to authors, works, history and concepts in French and Francophone literature. Longer articles are accompanied by bibliographies.

By Jean-Pierre de Beaumarchais, Daniel Couty and Alain Rey.
Paris: Larousse, 2001. 2 Volumes.
Use this work to find introductory articles about French-language writers, their works and the movements they spawned (eg. surrealism). Besides a thorough index in the 2nd volume, this set contains novel summaries and charts showing the development of writers' works alongside their lives. one downside to these entries is they contain no bibliographies.

By Paul Aron.
Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 2002.
A Dictionary treating major genres, institutions, critical concepts and questions of esthetics of more prominent francophone groups (eg. Belgium, France, Quebec, Switzerland etc.)

Pascal Mougin.
Paris: Larousse, 2002.
A wide-ranging work with an international scope, this dictionary contains entries on past and present authors, genres, literary movements, countries and periods.

By Jean-Pierre de Beaumarchais.
Bordas, 1987. 4 Volumes.
A comprehensive guide to literature from France, Africa, Canada and the Caribbean. Entries span criticism, genres, themes, periods and authors. Detailed bibliographies accompany author entries.

Edited by H. Mitterand.
Paris: Dictionnaires Le Robert, 1995.
This work provides concise entries of analysis, criticism and bibliography on French and international works and movements of the 20th century.

By E. Martin Sartori, editor-in-chief.
Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1999.
The Feminist Encyclopedia of French Literature is a compendium of biographic and bibliographic information on women novelists, diarists, travelers and political figures from the Middle Ages to the modern era, who lived and worked in France. All articles are signed by individual authors and provide related primary and secondary sources.