A guide for students, book clubs, and curious readers
Memorial Hall Library has a variety of resources to help you conduct literary research. Resources include plot summaries, book reviews, biographical and critical information, and readers’ advisory.
If you have questions about the resources please contact the Reference Desk by phone at 978-623-8430, by email at rdesk@mhl.org, or stop by the desk.
Plot Summaries
Use the following resources for descriptions of the plots of classic novels and short stories.
- SparkNotes
Literature study guides for selected titles - Cliffs Notes
Book summaries, character lists, and study aids
Criticism
The following list of book and electronic resources provide literary criticism.
- Children's Literature Review JR 028.5 Chi (Children's Room)
Excerpts from reviews and criticism on books written for children and young adults. - Contemporary Literary Criticism
A collection of critical essays on contemporary authors. You can search by author name, title of work, or genre. - General Reference Center
Book reviews and critical evaluations from magazines such as Library Journal, Time, and other sources. - Internet Public Library -- Online Literary Criticism Collection This Internet site, hosted the Drexel College of Information Science and Technology provides links to sites offering literary criticism. Browse by author's last name, title of the work, literary period, or nationality.
Our circulating collection includes critical analyses of authors and selected titles.
- Bloom's Modern Critical Views
A series of books containing critical essays on individual authors and titles. Search the library catalog using Bloom and the author or title of a book as keywords ("Bloom" "Ernest Hemingway" or "Bloom" "To Kill a Mocking Bird"). - Twaynes Critical Essays on American and British Literature
A series of critical essays on individual authors. Search the library catalog using Twayne and an author's name as keywords (Twayne John Steinbeck").
Authors
The following resources can help you find information on a writer's background and work:
- Literature Resource Center
This resource provides information on an author's life, education, and career, and a bibliography of his works.
Reader's Advisory
Use these resources to find books for leisure reading that have been well-reviewed, and that suit your particular reading interests:
- Novelist Guide to Fiction
A database that links readers to recommended reads lists by age group, author read-alikes, award winners, and book discussion Guides - especially useful for book groups - Personalized Reading Lists for Adults
Crafted by Memorial Hall Library Reference Librarians - Personalized Reading Lists for Teens
Crafted by Memorial Hall Library Teen Librarians