Literary Criticism

CCA Library Collection

You can search by keywords, author names, book titles, etc. Effective keywords include: 

• Critical theory
• Critical race theory
• Feminist theory
• Literature and Feminism (or other terms paired with literature: Marxism, psychoanalysis, etc.)
• Literary analysis
• Queer theory

Search Tips

• Limit keywords to 2-4 relevant terms.

• Be careful with spelling.

• Use simple phrases, like your author's name or a general theme

• Try adding "criticism" or "literature" to your initial searches

• When you find a useful book, check its record for subject headings; these will link you to other books on the same topic. 

Subject Searches

You can also search by subject. Go to the Advanced Search page in CCA Libraries Search. Choose "Subject Terms" and enter your search terms. Sample subject searches: 

• Literature History and Criticism

• Literature History And Criticism Theory Etc

• Literature Philosophy

• Feminist Literary Criticism

• Marxist Criticism

• Race In Literature

Browse the Shelves

Books in the library are organized by subject, using the Library of Congress Classification System. Most works on literary criticism are shelved under PN (a subclass of P, Language & Literature), but you will also find relevant books under HM, in class H, Social Sciences. Most of CCA's books on literary criticism are housed in Meyer Library on the Oakland campus.

Featured Books

Featured Reference Books