Finding Book Reviews
This resource guide provides a selective list of retrospective indexes to book reviews. The indexes, available in print and electronic format, offer either the full text or citations of reviews appearing in magazines, journals, and newspapers. The list is not exhaustive, as many subject-specific indexes include book reviews.
Distinguishing Between Book Reviews and Literary Criticism
Book reviews are usually written around the time of the book's publication. They tend to be short notices or discussions in magazines, journals, or newspapers. Longer, more scholarly evaluations may be published in subject-specific journals. The book reviews usually state whether the work is recommended by the critic, why, and for what level of reader. Some reviews provide price and purchase information.
Literary criticism, especially recent criticism, often provides a more in-depth analysis and interpretation of the book, as well as evaluative comments. A literary critic may examine one work or the author's works as a whole.
Electronic Indexes to Reviews
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ABELL (Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature) (1920 to present)
LOCATION: Library Databases (restricted to University of Delaware users)
- ABELL attempts to list all scholarly articles, books, and reviews about English language and literature and related topics. Choose “Reviews” at the bottom of the search screen to limit a search to reviews.
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APS Online (American Periodical Series Online) (covers 1741-1900/ in some cases through 1940)
LOCATION: Library Databases (restricted to University of Delaware users)
- APS Online indexes American journals and magazines from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as periodicals that began in the 19th century and continued into the 20th century. These periodicals are included in the microfilm set American Periodical Series. Many titles from the American Periodical Series are cataloged in DELCAT. An earlier version of this database is entitled Index to Early American Periodicals (entry below).Click on “More Search Options” to limit your keyword search to reviews.
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British Library Online Newspaper Archive (selected issues from 1851, 1856, 1886, 1900, 1911, and 1918)
LOCATION: Internet (http://www.uk.olivesoftware.com/)
- Use Internet Explorer to search this site. Full-page images are provided from the Daily News, News of The World, Penny Illustrated, The Manchester Guardian, and Weekly Dispatch. Coverage is selective, so check to see the issues available for each title.
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English Literary Periodicals (1681-1914)
Indianapolis, IN: Computer Indexed Systems, 1989-.
LOCATION: Library Databases (restricted to University of Delaware users)
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref PN5118 .I53x 1989)
- English Literary Periodicals provides indexing of individual articles and literary reviews published in Great Britain during the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. Click on the database’s “List of Titles Currently Indexed” to view a list of the titles covered. The full text of the articles and reviews is contained in the microfilm collection, English Literary Periodicals. The individual periodicals in the ELP microfilm set are cataloged in DELCAT.
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Godey's Lady's Book (1830-1885)
LOCATION: Library Databases (restricted to University of Delaware users)
- Godey’s Lady’s Book was first published in 1830 and quickly became the first successful American journal for women. Works by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadworth Longfellow, and many other celebrated 19th-century authors are included in Godey's. The database can be searched for the full text of book reviews.
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Humanities and Social Sciences Retrospective (1907-1984)
LOCATION: Library Databases (restricted to University of Delaware users)
- The Humanities and Social Sciences Retrospective database indexes a broad array of humanities and social sciences journals. Content from H.W. Wilson’s International Index is included. HSSR can be searched simultaneously with Readers’ Guide Retrospective. When searching for book reviews, add the words “book review” to the keyword search (e.g. edith wharton and book review).
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Index to Early American Periodicals (1700-1935)
LOCATION: Library Databases (restricted to University of Delaware users)
- The database provides an index to articles and reviews published in periodicals included in the American Periodical Series microfilm sets I, II, and III. The microfilm sets are located in the Microforms/Copy Services area on the lower level of the Library (S 10). There are DELCAT records for many of these periodicals. A newer version of this index is APS Online (see entry above). APS Online offers full text.
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JSTOR (dates vary by title/some coverage from 1800s)
LOCATION: Library Databases (restricted to University of Delaware users)
- JSTOR is a full-text database of core journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Searches can be limited to reviews.
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London Times Index (1790-1980)
LOCATION: Library Databases (restricted to University of Delaware users)
- Part of Historical Newspapers, this database consists of Palmer's Index to The Times (1790-1905) and Official Index to The Times (1906-1980). For a digital edition of The Times (London) and its predecessor title Universal Daily Register (1785-1788), use The Times Digital Archive (see below). The Times Digital Archive provides full facsimile images of articles, as well as complete pages of The Times. The archive does not provide indexing to the Times Literary Supplement. For full text of the Times Literary Supplement, use the Times Literary Supplement Centenary Archive (see below).
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Making of America (Univ. of Michigan) and Making of America (Cornell Univ.) (covers 1800s)
LOCATION: Internet (http://www.hti.umich.edu/m/moagrp/)
LOCATION: Internet (http://moa.cit.cornell.edu/moa/)
- The Making of America sites provide indexing and some full-text for periodicals, as well as electronic texts for the antebellum period through reconstruction, 1850-1877. The University of Michigan, Cornell University, and the Library of Congress participated in this project.
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New York Times (1851 to present year minus five years)
LOCATION: Library Databases (restricted to University of Delaware users)
- The New York Times database offers full page and article images with searchable full text back to the first issue.
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Nineteenth Century Masterfile (1802-1907)
LOCATION: Library Databases (restricted to University of Delaware users)
- The Nineteenth Century Masterfile indexes older periodicals from Great Britain and the United States. The primary component of this database is the online version of Poole's Index to Periodical Literature, 1802-1906.
- Periodicals Index Online (1665-1995)
LOCATION: Library Databases (restricted to University of Delaware users)
- Periodicals Index Online is an electronic index to the contents of many journals and magazines in the humanities and social sciences, from their first issues to the 1990s. The scope is international. There are links to the full text of some articles via connections to JSTOR. When full text is available, a “View full text on JSTOR” icon appears following the citation. Click on the icon to access the full text. Searches can be limited to book reviews.
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Readers' Guide Retrospective (1890-1982)
LOCATION: Library Databases (restricted to University of Delaware users)
- Readers’ Guide Retrospective indexes popular periodicals. When searching for book reviews, add the words “book review” to the keyword search (e.g. edith wharton and book review). RGR can be searched simultaneously with the Humanities and Social Sciences Index Retrospective.
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Times Digital Archive (1785-1985)
LOCATION: Library Databases (restricted to University of Delaware users)
- The Times Digital Archive is the digital edition of The Times (London) and its predecessor title Universal Daily Register (1785-1788). The database provides full facsimile images of articles, as well as complete pages of The Times. The entire newspaper is captured, with all articles, advertisements, and illustrations/photos divided into categories to facilitate searching. For full text of the Times Literary Supplement, use the Times Literary Supplement Centenary Archive (see below). The Sunday Times is not included in The Times Digital Archive. Issues of The Sunday Times are available on microfilm (Microfilm S 280).
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Times Literary Supplement Centenary Archive (1902-1990)
- The Times Literary Supplement is provided in full facsimile. Search by for book reviews by title, author, or contributor. The identities of anonymous contributors are disclosed in the database and augmented by biographical sketches.
Printed Indexes to Reviews
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Book Review Digest (1905 to present)
Bronx: H.W. Wilson.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref Z1035 .A1 B65)
- Book Review Digest indexes reviews of fiction and non-fiction books. Excerpts from selected reviews are provided.
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Combined Retrospective Index to Book Reviews in Humanities Journals (1802-1974)
Woodbridge, CT: Research Publications.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref AZ221 .C63x 1982)
- This 10-volume set indexes scholarly reviews of classic works with a focus on humanities journals.
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Combined Retrospective Index to Book Reviews in Scholarly Journals (1886-1974)
Arlington, Va.: Carrollton Press.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref Z1035 .A1 C64)
- Indexes book reviews from scholarly journals in history, sociology and political science. 15 volumes.
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Easterbrook, David L. Africana Book Reviews, 1885-1945: An Index to Books Reviewed in Selected English-Language Publications
Boston: G.K. Hall, 1979.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref Z3501 .E35)
- Easterbrook indexes reviews of books on the subject of Africa that appeared in English Language publications from 1885-1945. Author entries are supplemented with a title index.
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Eichelberger, Clayton L. A Guide to Critical Reviews of United States Fiction, 1870-1910
Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1971-74.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref PS658(B) .E36)
- Indexes contemporary reviews of major and minor American writers.
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Forster, Antonia. Index to Book Reviews in England, 1749-1774
Carbondale: Southern Illinois University, 1990.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref Z1035 .A1 F67 1990)
- Antonia Forster provides an index to reviews of poetry, drama, and fiction.
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Forster, Antonia. Index to Book Reviews in England, 1775-1800
London: British Library, 1997.
LOCATION: On Order
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Literary Writings in America: A Bibliography (1850-1940)
Millwood, N.Y.: KTO, 1977.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref PS88B .L55)
- Literary Writings in America is a printed card file. The file is the result of a WPA project that attempted to list all U.S. creative literature, including books and periodical articles, published from 1850-1940. The entries are not always accurate. Book reviews are listed by author and reviewer.
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Marks, Patricia. American Literary and Drama Reviews: An Index to Late Nineteenth Century Periodicals (1880 to 1900)
Boston: G.K. Hall, 1984.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref PN2256 .M37 1984)
- This volume indexes reviews appearing from 1880 to 1900 in selected periodicals. Part one covers reviews of American dramatic productions, and part two covers literary works.
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The Romantics Reviewed: Contemporary Reviews of British Romantic Writers (1793-1824)
New York: Garland, 1972.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref Z1035 .A1 N3)
- A collection of reviews from scholarly journals reproduced in facsimile. Nine volumes cover British writers of the period 1793 to 1824, including Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, and Keats. The author/title index appears in Part C, Volume II.
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Sader, Marion. Comprehensive Index to English-language Little Magazines, 1890-1970
Millwood, N.Y.: Kraus-Thomson Organization, [1976].
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref PN4836 .S2)
- The index, published in eight volumes, covers subject-specific periodicals published from 1890 to 1970. Indexing is provided for journal articles, poems, dramas, illustrations, editorials, photographs, bibliographies, letters, interviews, and reviews of books, films, and records. Reviews are listed under the name of the reviewer and the author of the work reviewed.
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Science Fiction Book Review Index (SFBRI) (1923-1984)
Bryan: Texas A&M University/SFBRI, 1970-1986
LOCATION: Morris Library (PN6071 .S33B S34)
- SFBRI, continued by Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review Index, covers book reviews from 1923 to 1984.
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Ward, William Smith. Literary Reviews in British Periodicals: A Bibliography, with a Supplementary List of General (Non-review) Articles on Literary Subjects (1789-1826)
New York: Garland.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference
- Literary Reviews in British Periodicals provides an index to scholarly journals with reviews of poetry, fiction and drama. Three separate publications by Ward cover different time periods: 1789-1797 (Ref Z2013 .W35 1979), 1798-1820 (Ref Z2013 .W36) and 1821-1826 (Ref Z2013 .W36 1977).
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The Wellesley Index to Victorian Periodicals (1824-1900)
Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref AI3 .H68)
- This set of volumes provides an index to articles published in Victorian periodicals from 1824 to 1900. Indexing is by “contributor” name only, so searchers can locate book reviews only if they know the name of the reviewer.
Locating Journals, Magazine, and Newspapers
Check DELCAT to see if the University of Delaware Library has the periodicals you need. Note the call number locations. Older issues of periodicals are shelved by their call number in the book stacks on the second, third, and lower levels of the Library.
Some periodicals duplicated by electronic versions (e.g. JSTOR journals) are housed in the Library Annex. Library staff retrieve Annex items Monday through Friday. Items requested by 2:00 p.m. will be available by 4:00 p.m. the same day. Ask for information about Annex requests at the Reference Desk. An electronic request form is available (http://www.lib.udel.edu/cgi-bin/annex.cgi).
The Library holds a number of microfilm sets, such as English Literary Periodicals and the American Periodical Series. Many of the periodicals in these sets are cataloged in DELCAT. If an individual periodical title is not listed in DELCAT, check WorldCat to see if it is offered as part of a microform set. Search for the title of the set in DELCAT. If the University of Delaware Library owns the set, the staff at the Microforms/Copy Services Desk can use a guide to identify the specific reel or fiche number needed.
Interlibrary Loan Services
If the University of Delaware Library does not own a particular periodical, please use the Interlibrary Loan Request Form (http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/ill/) to request a copy of the article.
If the Center for Research Libraries holds the periodical either in print or microform, the UD Library can borrow these issues. Check the Center for Research Libraries catalog for information about its holdings (http://wwwcrl.uchicago.edu/).
This page is maintained by
Linda Lawrence Stein, Reference Department.
Questions or comments?
Last modified: 09/02/08
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