Why do We Need Background Information?
Gathering background information can help you understand the context in which a writer was working when they produced their work. It can also serve to inform your work when writing about an author. Visit the University at Buffalo University Libraries guide for more information on why background information is important and describes different resources.
Getting Started
Cambridge History of Russia, Vol. 2 Imperial Russia, 1689–1917 by Contains in-depth information about the political, economic, social, cultural history of Russia 1689-1917. Use the information you find in this book to add context to your arguments.
A Companion to Nineteenth-Century Europe, 1789-1914 by Balances coverage of political, diplomatic and international history with discussion of economic, social and cultural concerns.- Encyclopedia of Russian History byCall Number: Young ref DK 14 .E53 2004
- Cambridge Encyclopedia of Russia and the Former Soviet Union byCall Number: Young ref DK 14 .C35 1994
- Encyclopedia of Russian History byCall Number: Young ref DK 36 .P39 1993
The Cambridge Companion to the Classic Russian Novel by Chapters on the city, the countryside, politics, satire, religion, psychology, philosophy; the romantic, realist and modernist traditions; and technique, gender and theory. In this context the work of Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Bulgakov, Nabokov, Pasternak and Solzhenitsyn, among others, is described and discussed.
The Cambridge Companion to Dostoevskii by Key dimensions of Dostoevskii's writing and life are explored in this collection. Contributors examine topics such as Dostoevskii's relationship to folk literature, money, religion, the family and science.
The Cambridge History of Russian Literature by An updated edition of this comprehensive narrative history, giving particular attention to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.- Cambridge Companion to FlaubertContains textual analysis of the complete range of Flaubert's work, including Madame Bovary.
- Cambridge Companion to TolstoyEssays focusing on Tolstoy's artistic production.
- Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & CriticismCall Number: SC Annex Stacks PN 81 .J55 2005A comprehensive historical survey of literary criticism's most important figures, schools, and movements. Hard copy version, accessible via the "Request Item" link.
- Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new windowReview essays evaluating the current thinking on a field or topic. Articles review the key issues, reveal original arguments and concepts, and set the agenda for new research. Under the search box, choose "Literature" to search within your subject.