Book Reviews (Humanities) 

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A review usually appears within a year or two of a book's publication. Some reviews are long and scholarly, and can provide important information about a book's style, quality, and the credentials of the author. Other reviews may just give a summary of a book's content and plot; in either case, a review is a contemporary, critical reaction to a book, often reflecting a reviewer's own tastes or that of the prevailing current critical opinion.

Book reviews are distinct from the more in-depth analysis of literary criticism which can, and often does, appear long after a book's publication.

To find a book review, it is important to know:

• author's full name
• title of the book
• year of publication

Remember that:

• The great majority of books are never reviewed at all.
• Reviews do not always appear the same year in which the book was published. You may have to check indexes for a year or two following the publication date.
• Indexes usually cover certain dates. If your book was written in 1925, for example, you will use an index other than one that covers contemporary novels.

• UCSB English Department
  
• GauchoSpace
  
• UC Santa Barbara