ULTIMATE BOOKLIST: NET English Literature

Hey, this list can be a little intimidating. I assure you, reading and revising this material will not take any more time than it takes to go through dull notes. You will grow significantly with each book you finish and by the fourth or fifth book you read, you yourself will feel that you are a different person. This will be an enriching journey. Your efforts will be rewarded not just by the exam but by every interview you sit for. This is the only way to clear the exam as a byproduct of your intellectual growth. Notes reek of mental stagnation.

It is not for everyone. If you are someone who just wants to clear NET as a feather in their cap and has no passion for the discipline or for teaching, I am not sure why you are here to begin with.

Do I have to read everything?

No, you need about 60-65% marks in Paper II to get JRF, given that you have done well in Paper I. So, the best way to go about it is to cover one source from each topic in this order: Primary Topics: British Literature (History + Summary) → Literary Criticism → Literary Theory → Cultural Studies → Indian Literature.

Then, move to the other topics like Linguistics, Research, etc. Now after each text/video you cover from these, cover one source from the primary topics.

How do I read so much?

Download any pdf to audiobook app to listen to the book while reading. This will speed your reading up significantly. MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT USE JUST THE AUDIOBOOK, YOU MUST READ ALONGSIDE THE NARRATOR.

How will I revise?

Generate your own MCQs and use PYQs. You can find high quality MCQs and PYQs meant to help you revise these texts on our site in “English Literature: Complete Revision Course”.

Will this be enough?

Yes. You must study Paper I regularly as well. Some additional texts you can cover to fine tune your preparation are here.

---

THIS LIST IS FOR THOSE WHO WANT 100% MARKS

1. Linguistics

• EAdhyayan Study Material
• Concise handbook of linguistics; a glossary of terms

2. Indian Poetry

• Penguin book of Indian Poets - Read Bio Notes
• Bruce King: Modern Indian Poetry in English - Selected Readings

3. Cultural Studies

• Introducing Cultural Studies: A Graphic Guide by Zirauddin Sarkar
• Introducing Cultural Studies by Longhurst and Smith
• First part (about 85 pages) of Pramod K Nayar’s Introduction to Cultural Studies

4. Literary Theory

• Literary Theory: A Guide for the Perplexed
• Literary Theory by David Carter
• Key Terms in Literary Theory by Mary Klages
• Literary Theory and Criticism: An Oxford Guide by Waugh (Selected Topics)
• Feminisms by Fiona Tolan
• Any other you find interesting
• Contemporary Literary and Cultural Theory: An Overview by Jeffrey R Di Leo (Chapter 7 - 15 around 200 pages)

5. Post Colonial Theory

• Postcolonial Theory - A Critical Introduction by Leela Gandhi

6. Summaries

• Major Plays: Watch Entirely + Librivox
• Major Poems: Read Entirely + Genius.org
• Listen to Major Summaries using App
• Course Hero
• Litcharts → Make MCQs
• GradeSaver

7. Major Writers

• Cambridge Introduction to Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, Tragedies
• Critical Heritage
• Very Short Introduction

8. Literary Criticism * Critical Theory Since Plato by Hazard Adams (Read only important ones - entirely. Keep a record of the flow of argument)

• English Literary Criticism - All Texts
• Major Critics: Mostly Modern Age

9. World Literature

• Movements and Major Figures (GALE Student’s Guide)
• Indian Novels - Youtube summaries

10. MLA 9th Ed and Research

• We are going to make a video

11. Major Texts from University Curriculum

• Prose and Criticism

12. History of English Literature

• William J Long - Audiobook + PDF
• Michael Alexander
• Routledge

13. Indian Aesthetics

• A Students Handbook of Indian Aesthetics by Neeraj A Gupta
• Indian Poetics by Edwin Gerow

14. Indian Literature

• MK Naik
• A K Mehrotra
• Objective Companion to Indian Literature in English

15. Revision

• Make your own MCQs
• All PYQs