Research Guides
British Literature: Book Reviews
Resources for Locating Current Book Reviews
The following databases are good places to locate contemporary book reviews in scholarly journals, popular magazines, and newspapers. Dates of coverage vary, but most go back to the early 1980s. If your book was published earlier, see "Resources for Locating Older Book Reviews" below.
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
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Scholarly articles and general interest sources in all fields. - Gale Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window
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Comprehensive database of poetry, drama and prose, literature journals, author biographies, topic overviews, and critical essays.
- ProQuest NewstandMostly full-text newspapers, covers dates from the mid 1980s to present.
- Web of Science This link opens in a new window
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Citation index for the sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities.
Resources for Locating Older Book Reviews
Often print resources are best for locating older book reviews. The following is a list of resources that provide information on locating reviews of older works of fiction, poetry, drama, and/or literary scholarship. All are PRINT ONLY with the exception of those with the "UW restricted" notice.
| American Humanities Index (AI3 .A487) | 1975-present | |
| American Periodicals Series Online, 1740-1900 - [UW restricted] | 1740-1900+ | |
| Annual Bibliography of English Language & Literature (ABELL) - [UW restricted] | 1923-present | |
| Book Review Digest (Z1219 .B65) | 1905-1994 | |
| Book Review Index (Z1035.A1 B6) | 1965-present | |
| British Periodicals - [UW restricted] | 1680s-1930s | |
| Combined Retrospective Index to Book Reviews in Humanities Journals (Z6265 .C65 1982) | 1802-1974 | |
| Combined Retrospective Index to Book Reviews in Scholarly Journals (Z1035 .A1 C64) | 1886-1974 | |
| Humanities & Social Sciences Index Retrospective - [UW restricted] | 1907-1984 | |
| Index to Book Reviews in England (Z1035.A1 F67 1990) | 1749-1800 | |
| Index to Book Reviews in the Humanities (Z1035.A1 I63) | 1960-1990 | |
| Index to Literature in the New Yorker (AP2 .N6764) | 1925-1975 | |
| Literary Reviews in British Periodicals, 1789-1797: A Bibliography (Z2013 .W36 1979a) | 1789-1797 | |
| Monthly Review, First & Second Series: Indexes of Contributors & Articles (AP2 .N6764) | 1749-1815 | |
| National Library Service Cumulative Book Review Index (Z1035.A1 N35) | 1905-1974 | |
| Reader's Guide Retrospective - [UW restricted] | 1890-1982 | |
| Times Literary Supplement Index (AP4 .T15 index) | 1902-1980 |
Key Book Review Sources
- New York Review of BooksIn print only, from 1963 to present. AP2 .N655
- New York Times Book ReviewFull text coverage from 1/19/1997 to present in ProQuest Newsstand; indexing available for earlier years. [UW restricted]
- Times Literary Supplement (TLS)In print only, from 1902 to present. AP4 .T15