Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism
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A full-text searchable database of articles on individual critics and theorists, critical and theoretical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods.
Background: French Literature
Literature Resource Center
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Provides biographies, bibliographies and scholarly articles on novelists, poets, essayists, and other writers, with in-depth coverage of highly-studied authors.
French Literature: A Very Short Introduction by John D. Lyons
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John D. Lyons introduces this lively literary world by focusing on texts - novels, plays, and poems - that concern protagonists whose adventures and conflicts reveal shifts in literary and social practices and values.
The Cambridge Companion to French Literature
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Publication Date: 2016
In this authoritative and accessible account of French literature, sixteen essays by leading specialists offer provocative insights into French literary culture, its genres, movements, themes, and historic turning points, including the cultural and linguistic challenges of today's multi-ethnic France.
Oxford Bibliographies Online
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Includes introductions to each topic area, guides to introductory works, textbooks, guidebooks, journals, reference works etc., and links to useful websites. Bibliographies are browseable by subject area and keyword searchable.
Other Useful Background Sources
The Cambridge Companion to Modern French Culture
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Publication Date: 2006
Explores this vibrant culture, and includes chapters on history, language, literature, thought, theatre, architecture, visual culture, film and music, and discuss the contributions of popular culture, Francophone culture, minorities and women.
The Oxford Handbook of French Politics
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Publication Date: 2017
The Oxford Handbook of French Politics provides a comprehensive overview of political science research on France. With state-of-the-art reviews across a wide range of topics including the welfare state, national identity, economic policy, women's movements, and foreign and defense policy,
The Cambridge Companion to French Music
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Publication Date: 2015
Provides a comprehensive introduction to the music of France. With chapters on a range of music genres, internationally renowned authors survey music-making from the early middle ages to the present day.