Books and websites for UGC-NET, SLET EXAMS

The season of the UGC-NET and SLET exams is approaching and I am often asked what books should be consulted for preparation. So here goes my recommended list. The basic problems before the aspirants are due to irrationality of the test and own lack of interest in the subject. 

Here is my tip for anyone who wants to perform well at the NET or SLET or any exam for the matter:

Scoring well or clearing is what score board is to a game. The question should not be how to make more runs but how to improve batting or bowling.  Clearing an exam is an outcome of performance , not performance itself. Hence if you develop interest or love for the subject ( History of English literature and criticism)  your performance will improve on its own. 

However, here it goes: 

For the first paper, I think one can use books on Reasoning and Clerical Aptitude published by  Competition Success Review and Manorama Year Books are good for current affairs.

However, for other papers I recommend these books:

Abrams, M.H. and G.G. Harpham. A Glossary of Literary Terms. eleventh edition, Cengage India Learning Pvt Ltd, 2014. Lucid, useful and very wide-ranging introduction to key terms and ideas in the field.

Abrams, M.H. et all ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. I and II. New York and London. W.W. Norton and Company. 10th ed, 2018 is The Maa and Baap of all examinations of English literature. Massive. If you are serious and committed to clear NET/SLET this is the place. But if you are seriously interested in studying English literature this is THE place.

Anjaria, Ulka. ed. A History of the Indian Novel in English. Cambridge University Press, 2015 a much-needed history of Indian novel in English.

Asagoff, Lubna et. all ed. Principles and Practices for Teaching English as an International Language. New York. Routledge. 2012

Cohen, Walter. A History of European Literature: The West and the World from Antiquity to the Present. Oxford University Press. 2017, very useful for world literature questions.

Culler, Jonathan. Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction. OUP, 2nd ed, 2011. Very lucid and exciting introduction, my personal favourite! Now also has a list of schools and approaches. 

Devy, GN ed. Indian Literary Criticism: Theory and Interpretation, Hyderabad: Orient Longman Ltd, 3^rd. ed, 2020. A place to start exploring the key texts in Indian literary criticism and theory, an extremely useful anthology.

Habib, MAR.  A History of Literary Criticism: From Plato to Present. Blackwell Publishing, 2005. One of the best introductions to the subject. The chapter on 20th century Criticism is one of the most lucid introductions to a very complex field.

Kudchedkar, Shirin. ed. Readings in English Language Teaching in India. Hyderabad. Orient Longman Pvt Ltd., 2002

 Leitch, Vincent B et al. eds. The Norton Anthology of Literary Criticism and Theory. NY and London: WW Norton and Co., 3rd ed, 2018. The BAAP of all anthologies of literary criticism and theory. An anthology of essential statements from Plato to Posthumanism, you name it and you have it. 

Mehrotra, AK. An Illustrated History of Indian Literature in English, New Delhi: Permanent Black (Ravi Dayal), 2003. A very good starting point for literary history of Indian writing in English.

 Natarajan, Nalini. ed. Handbook of Twentieth-Century Literatures of India. Greenwood Press, 1996, a valuable introduction to the twentieth century modern Indian literatures.

Richards, J and Rogers, T. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, 2nd Edition. 2001. A very comprehensive Introduction to ELT. I studied it during my masters.

Sanders, Andrew. The Short Oxford History of English Literature.3^rd ed, OUP, 2005, in my view the best history of English literature I have read, though there are others more useful from examination purposes, this one provides an analysis based on the sociological and cultural contexts and is very readable. It replaces the dated Legois and Cazamian history. Paul Poplawski ed. English Literature in Context, Cambridge University Press, 2^nd ed, 2017 is more examination oriented.

Stinger, Jenny ed. The Oxford Companion to Twentieth Century Literature in English. Oxford and New York. Oxford University Press. 1996. Fairly comprehensive guide to key texts and authors of world literature in English. 

You can check out following links too:

i) Luminarium.org is a very good site

ii) Indian English Literature

iii) Bartleby is a very good site
iv) Britannica. com for English literature also has a good entry on prosody 
v) Lang Nagoya is a site with links to other sites
vi) Study.com has an online course on basics of English literature 
vii) Internet Encylopedia of Philosophy provides a discussion and reading list for literary criticism and theory
viii) Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) has a good information about literary theory and criticism 

ix) Here is a link to OTHER USEFUL LINKS ON THE NET is made by yours faithfully. It is a very good page indeed ...
x) MY YOUTUBE PLAYLIST OF USEFUL VIDEOS FOR NET/SET ASPIRANTS