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French Literature and Cinema Research Guide

The following is a selected list of resources for starting research in French Literature and Cinema. For further assistance, contact Jeff Staiger, Romance Languages Librarian, at jstaiger@uoregon.edu
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Note: items with the off-campus access limited to UO icon are electronic resources available only to University of Oregon faculty, staff, and students, or to users working in the library.

Getting Started

These items can help you identify a topic for your research, provide an overview of a specific issue or topic, or suggest other materials that might be useful for your research.
  • The New Oxford Companion to Literature in French KNIGHT REFERENCE PQ41 .N48.
    • An alphabetical guide to authors, works and concepts in French literature. Especially useful in explaining literary periods or concepts.
  • Dictionary of Modern French Literature PQ41.D65.
  • Feminist Encyclopedia of French Literature KNIGHT REFERENCE PQ149.F47.
    • These are both alphabetically-arranged dictionaries with appendices listing authors by subject and chronological period. The first includes a timeline for historical context , and both contain references for further information.
  • The Year's Work in Modern Language Studies KNIGHT REFERENCE PB 1 .Y45
    • Volumes are divided by language, then by time period and area. Good for research ideas and an introduction to recent work on popular topics. Includes citations to articles, collections, and books.
  • A Critical Bibliography of French Literature Z2171 .C3
    • Five volumes with supplements, making up a chronologically-arranged selective bibliography of French literature from the medieval period to the twentieth century. Each section is contributed by a specialist who critiques books, dissertations, and articles, and cites reviews. Each volume has its own index.

Dictionaries

The Knight Library has many French and bilingual dictionaries, both in the Reference section on the first floor and in the stacks on the third floor. To browse the collection of French dictionaries that you can borrow, go to the third floor and check the call numbers between PC 2620 and PC 2645, or do a subject search in the library catalog for french language dictionaries english. English-French bilingual dictionaries are at PC 2640.

 

    French-English Dictionaries in Print
  • Le Grand Dictionnaire Francais-Anglais, Anglais-Francais KNIGHT REFERENCE PC2640 .G68.
  • The Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary KNIGHT REFERENCE PC2640 .O83.
  • Collins-Robert French-English, English-French Dictionary KNIGHT RE FERENCE PC2640 .C69

Finding Articles

To look for articles in journals, newspapers, or magazines, you will need to start with an index. An index will allow you to look for articles by subject, title, author, or by a few keywords describing your topic.

Magazine and Journal Articles

In English
  • MLA International Bibliography off-campus access limited to UO
    • The MLA index covers works on languages, literature, linguistics, film, culture, folklore, and related topics, from 1963 to the pres ent. It will direct you to journal articles, books, chapters in collections of essays, dissertations and theses, and papers issued as conference proceedings. Most items are in English, even if they're discussing works in French; a few are in French.
    • Guide to using MLA International Bibliography.
  • Academic Search Premier off-campus access limited to UO
    • ASE covers a wide range of subjects in popular and scholarly journals, from 1984 to the present. About half of the articles covered since 1990 are full-text, meaning you can read the entire article online. Will not direct you to books, dissertations, or conference proceedings.
  • Articles on Twentieth Century Literature KNIGHT REFERENCE Z6519.P66.
    • Seven-volume annotated bibliography. Arranged alphabetically by author and title discussed. Good source for English-language criticism.
  • Magill's Bibliography of Literary Criticism KNIGHT REFERENCE Z6511 .M25.
    • A four-volume bibliography arranged alphabetically by author and title of the work being discussed. Good source for basic criticism of western literature.
  • Year's Work in Modern Language Studies KNIGHT REFERENCE PB 1 .Y45
    • Provides a summary of the major critical work in modern languages in a given year. Volumes are divided by language, then by time period and area. A very good introduction to major concepts in a field, and also useful in developing research ideas. Includes citations to articles, collections, and books.

In French

  • Bulletin critique du livre en français Z2165 .B924
    • Provides short French-language reviews of new French-language books published in France and elsewhere, arranged by subject. About 400 reviews per issue. Gives price and publication information, as well as intended audience level. Covers works from 1945 to the present.
  • Bibliographie d'histoire littéraire française KNIGHT REFERENCE Z2171 .B52
    • Also known as Bibliographie der französischen Literaturwissenschaft. In French and German. Indexes literary criticism in North American and European journals, complementing the MLA and the Year's Work in Modern Language Studies. Arranged chronologically, with a special section on French literatures outside of Fr ance. Covers criticism from 1956 to the present.
  • French VII Bibliography and French XX Bibliography Z2173 .F7.
    • This series began with French VII and has been picked up by French XX. It indexes books and articles supporting the study of French literature from 1885 to 2003. Includes references to reviews of books, plays, and films. Each issue covers the previous year's publications, and supplements entries from previous issues. Only citations are provided; no annotations.

Newspaper Articles

  • Lexis-Nexis Academic off-campus access limited to UO
    • This database contains articles from a variety of news sources. Articles can be printed directly from the database.
      • Choose "News"
      • Choose "Foreign Language News"
      • Enter your keywords and then limit your search to "Source -- French Language News"
      • Click "Search
  • World News Connection off-campus access limited to UO
    • This database offers an extensive array of translated and English-language news and information. Compiled from thousands of non-U.S. media sources, the information in WNC covers significant socioeconomic, political, scientific, technical, and environmental issues and events.

Finding French Books

  • La France littéraire Z2161 .Q4
    • Lists French books published in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Includes some French works published outside France. Covers up to approximately 1842.
  • A Short Title Catalogue of French Books 1450-1600 Z2162 .B86
  • A Short Title Catalogue of French Books 1601-1700 Z2162 .B87
    • These two works index books written wholly or partly in French, no matter where they were published, as well as books in various languages published in France during this period. Includes all such books in the British Library's collection as of 1973. Arranged alphabetically by name of author. See frontal material for instructions on use.
  • Catalogue general de la librairie française Z2161 .L86
    • The standard key to French books, post 1840. Most volumes cover between three and six years' worth of publication. Includes some theses and annuals, books, pamphlets, and some Belgian and Swiss publications in French. Brief biographical notes for authors, with cross-references to works in earlier volumes. Does not evaluate works; simply gives title, author , and publication information.
  • Biblio: catalogue des ouvrages parus en langue française dans le monde entier Z2165 .B565
    • Reprints the cumulated bibliographical section from the monthly journal Biblio from 1933-1971. Includes French books published outside of France. Arranged alphabetically by author, with title and subject entries added.
  • Les livres disponibles Z2161 .L8
    • Published in 3 volumes annually: Author, Titles, and Subject. Lists French language titles published anywhere in the world. All 3 volumes include full data. A list of publishers and distributors is in each sequence. Older volumes are at the same call number in the Knight stacks (4th floor.)

Finding Works in Translation

  • UO Library Catalog
    • Search for books by topic, title or author. Search for journals and magazines by title or topic.
    • To find translations of an author's work, search by the author's name in reversed order (i.e., hugo victor), and limit your search to "English."
  • Orbis/Cascade Alliance Union Catalog (SUMMIT) off-campus access limited to UO
    • Puts 5,000,000 items at your fingertips; books not owned by the UO Library may be requested through Orbis Borrowing: Request Item.
    • To find translations of an author's work, search by the author' s name in reversed order (i.e., de beauvoir, simone), and limit your search to "English."
  • WorldCat off-campus access limited to UO
    • Provides access to library catalogs from around the world. The database contains bibliographic records describing books , journals, maps, musical scores, manuscripts, and other materials.
  • International Books in Print KNIGHT REFERENCE Z2005.I57
    • Published in 2 volumes annually: Author/Title, and Subject. Lists currently available English-language titles published outside the UK and US. The Author/title volume contains a list of publishers and distributors. Not comprehensive for all publications worldwide: check individual regional Books in Print for more thorough listings. Older volumes are at the same call number in the Knight stacks (4th floor.)
  • Short Story Index
    • Paper volumes, available at index table 3 in the Knight Reference area. Lists short stories written in or translated into English. Published yearly with 5 year cumu lations. To find titles of stories and collections:
      • Search by your author's name to find the English (translated) title of the story you're looking for..
      • Look up the story collection by its title in the "List of Collections Indexed."
      • UO Library Catalog for the collection's title.
  • Granger's Index to Poetry in Anthologies
  • Granger's Index to Poetry in Collected and Selected Works
    • Paper volumes, available at index table 3 in the Knight Reference area. Index poems translated into English. To find a translation of a poem published in an anthology or collection:
      • Search the index by author to find the English (translated) title of the poem you're looking for
      • Look up the title to find the collection or anthology title in its abbreviated form.
      • Check the abbreviation index to find the full title.
      • Search the UO Library Catalog for the collection title.

Finding Film Information

Films from France

  • The Companion to French Cinema KNIGHT REFERENCE PN 1993.5.F7 V55
    • Part of the excellent British Film Institute series, this book contains an historical overview of French cinema, over 200 alphabetically arranged entries on people, concepts, and institutions, and a section on Fren ch cinema in Europe. Includes a bibliography, but no index.
  • French Films 1945-1993 KNIGHT REFERENCE PN1993.5.F7 B52
    • This volume is a "critical filmography of the 400 most important releases" within this period. It is alphabetically organized by French title, with cross-references from alternate and English-language titles. Includes a bibliography for further reading.
  • Media Review Digest KNIGHT REFERENCE Z5784.M9 M4
    • This series indexes reviews of all non-print media (audio and visual) in various disciplines. Turn to the Geographic Index in the back and look up "France" or other French-speaking countries to find films arranged alphabetically by title.
  • Une histoire du cinema français KNIGHT REFERENCE PN 1993.5. F7 H58
    • In French. A chronologically-arranged history of French cinema, from 1880-1991. Includes appendices with a chronological list of key French films with plot summaries, award-winning films, and full-colour images from French movies and film history.

Francophone Film from Outside France

  • Guide to African Cinema KNIGHT REFERENCE PN 1993. 5. A35 R87
    • Provides an introductory essay on aspects of African film, then an alphabetical list of films and filmmakers. A bibliography follows each entry, and a general bibliography concludes the work. A short list of distributors of African films is included.
  • Guide to the Cinema(s) of Canada KNIGHT REFERENCE PN 1993.5 .C2
    • Includes a chronology of Canadian films from 1914-1997, an alphabetical list of films and filmmakers, a list of "100 Other Notable Canadian Filmmakers and Actors," a list of award-winning and "10 Best" films from various years, a bilingual bibliography, and an index.
  • Media Review Digest KNIGHT REFERENCE Z5784.M9 M4
    • This series indexes reviews of all non-print media (audio and visual) in various disciplines. Turn to the Geographic Index in the back and look up "France" or other French-speaking countries to find films arranged alphabetically by title.
  • The Encyclopedia of European Cinema KNIGHT REFER ENCE PN 1993.5.E8 V56
    • Provides an alphabetical list of people, institutions, genres, and concepts in European cinema. People's entries list their works, as well as their dates and place of birth and death where applicable. Film production and audience figures for European countries are listed from 1945-1993. Bibliography is arranged by country. Title and subject index (including people.)

Web Resources

Electronic Text Archives (Primary Materials)

  • ABU
    • Produced and maintained by the Association des Bibliophiles Universels. Find full-text literary works by author's name or title.
    ARTFL
    • The Project for American and French Research on the Treasury of the French Language provides full-text documents and other resources.
  • CLICNET
    • Swarthmore University hosts online texts arranged by genre, and keyword-searchable.
  • European Literature Electronic Texts
    • ACRL's Western European Studies Section lists Internet sources for literary texts in Western European languages other than English.
  • French Language Resources
  • Gallica
    • The digital library hosted by the Bibliotheque nationale de France, containing over 70,000 digitized works, more than 80,000 images, and hours of audio resources. Includes a chronology of French history from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, as well as supplementary write-ups that can be searched by theme. Substantial collections in French travel history, utopian writings, the history of French colonisation and exploration of Africa, and key French authors such as Zola and Proust. All materials accessible at no cost.

Research Guides

Maintained by: Jeff Staiger, jstaiger@uoregon.edu
Last Modified: 05/21/2007