For a general introduction to call numbers and ranges see our Library of Congress Classification Guide.
These are some Library of Congress call number ranges relevant to literature:
P is the call number range for language & literature. Sample subclasses:
It is important to remember that in Library of Congress classification, works by an author are shelved side-by-side with criticism and biographies about the author. This makes it convenient to fully explore an author. For instance, you would find everything related to Jane Austen at PR 4030-4038 or Nathaniel Hawthorne at PS 1850-1898.
Remember to not only look for titles about your specific topic, but for titles that appear to be about a broader topic that your topic fits within.
Look inside individual books to get a sense of their content. The best places to start are:
This will be at the front of the book and will tell you chapter titles. Some books are better than others at having descriptive chapter titles that signal their contents.
When a book has an index (or sometimes multiple indexes) will be located at the back of the book. An index is a list of names, concepts, or keywords and the pages of the book where content on that topic can be found. Constructing a high quality index is labor-intensive, so not all books have them or have equally extensive indexes. A good index, however, is incredibly helpful for finding information.