FYE 1031: The Hero's Quest in Literature

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias, etc.

Andrews, J.F. (Ed.). (2001). Shakespeare's world and work. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
An alphabetical collection of essays that provide overviews of themes, influences, and staging, this volume also includes timelines and illustrations. This is a good place to start getting acquainted with this complex author and his work.
Ref. PR2892 .S56 2001 (v. 1 - 3)

Baldick, C. (Ed.). (1990). Concise Oxford dictionary of literary terms. Oxford; New York: Oxford University  Press.
A concise dictionary is always needed to define terms you may encounter in your study of literature.
Ref. PN41 .C67 1990

Barton, J., & Muddiman, J. (Eds.). (2001). Oxford Bible commentary. New York: Oxford University Press.
This is a good introduction to the "religious, cultural, and historical significance" of the Bible that includes "verse by verse explanation of every book...."
Ref. PS 491.3 .O94 2001

Dobson, M., & Wells, S. (Eds.). (2001). Oxford companion to Shakespeare. New York: Oxford University Press.
The editors help you undertand the characters and themes found in Shakespeare's work. Take a look if you need ideas for a research topic.
Ref. PR2892 .O94 2001

Grant, M., & Kitzinger, R. (Eds.). (1988). Civilization of the ancient Mediterranean: Greece and Rome. Rome, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons.
This is a collection of essays on various aspects of Greek and Roman history and society, such as class structure, religion, women, and the arts. Includes "historical summaries" as well.
Ref. DE59 .C55 1988 v.1-3

Grendler, P.F. (Ed.). (1999). Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. New York: Scribner's.
This volume includes essays, listed alphabetically, on people, places, and ideas related to the Renaissance. Also includes maps, genealogical tables, and a chronology.
Ref. CB361 .E52 1999

Harmon, W., & Holman, H. (Eds.). (2006). Handbook to literature, 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Use this handbook for locate definitions of important terms and outlines of British and American literary history.
Ref. PN41 .H355 2006

Lacy, N.J. (Ed.). (1986). The Arthurian encyclopedia. New York: Garland Publishing.
This encyclopedia defines characters and themes, identifies major critics, and includes essays that illustrate how scholarship on this famous tale has changed over time.
Ref. DA 152.5 .A7 A78 1986

Lindahl, C., et. al. (Eds.) (2000). An encyclopedia of myths, legends, tales, beliefs, and customs. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Here you'll find ssays on characters and themes in world literature. This can be useful for in-depth definitions and topic overviews.
Ref. GR35 .M43 2000 v. 1-2

Linehan, P., & Nelson, J.L. (Eds.). (2001). The Medieval world. New York: Routledge.
A collection of essays that provides a glimpse of what life was like in Medieval Europe, this volume is useful for providing a context for a piece of literature. Some illustrations and suggestions for further reading.
Ref. CB351 .M43 2001x

Luce, J.T. (Ed.). (1982). Ancient writers: Greece and Rome. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
Volume One features essays on major writers. Each entry details the writer's life and works. This is a good source for placing the writer in context and understanding the place of his work in history. Each entry includes a selected bibliography for further reading.
Ref. PA3002 .A5 1982 (v. 1 - 2)

Misiroglu, G. (Ed.). (2004). The superhero book. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink.
An A-Z compendium, this fun volume describes superheroes' backgrounds, powers, vulnerabilities, and other characteristics.
Ref. P96 .H46587 2004

Oxford essential dictionary of difficult words. New York: Berkley Books, 2001.
This is one of the texts required for this course; available for reference in the Library.
Ref. PE1680 .O93 2001

Quinn, E. (Ed.). (2006). Dictionary of literary and thematic terms. New York: Checkmark Books.
This is another useful source for understanding how literature is studied.
Main Stacks  PN44.5 .Q56 2006

Books in the Main Stacks

To find general works related to this course, try one of these topic searches (be sure to scroll for useful subdivisions):
    Epic literature
    Fantasy literature
    Greek literature
    Heroes
    Literature, comparative
    Science fiction

Or use the catalog of conduct a KEYWORD search on two ideas, such as "hero and literature."

For information on specific works, use the catalog to conduct a SUBJECT search on the name of that work or author, such as Beowulf or Shakespeare.

Journals

American Literature
Journal of Modern Literature
Journal of Narrative Theory
Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies
Twentieth Century Literature

To find indexing and full-text information for these titles, check the Journal Locator. You can also use this tool to locate journal articles you may have found referenced in other sources.