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How to Write a Book Review

There are two approaches to book reviewing: the descriptive and the critical. A descriptive review is one in which the writer, without over-enthusiasm or exaggeration, gives the essential information about a book. This is done by description and exposition, by stating the perceived aims and purposes of the author, and by quoting striking passages from the text. A critical review is one in which the writer describes and evaluates the book, in terms of accepted literary and historical standards, and supports this evaluation with evidence from the text. The following pointers are meant to be suggestions for writing a critical review.

Basic Requirements

Simply stated, the reviewer must know two things in order to write a critical review:

  • the work being reviewed and
  • the requirements of the genre to which the work belongs (novel, short story, biography, poetry, etc.).
  1. Knowledge of the work demands not only an attempt to understand what the author's purpose is and how the component parts of the work contribute to that purpose, but also some knowledge of the author--his/her nationality, time period, other works etc.
  2. Knowledge of the genre means understanding the art form and how it functions. Without such understanding, the reviewer has no historical or literary standard upon which to base his/her evaluation.

Minimum Essentials of a Book Review

  1. Description, not a summary, of the book. Sufficient description should be given so that the reader, as he reads the review, will have some understanding of the author's thoughts. This account of the contents of a book can often be woven into the critical remarks.
  2. Something about, not a biography of, the author. Biographical information should be relevant to the subject of the review and enhance the reader's understanding of the work under discussion.
  3. An appraisal, preferably indirect, through description and exposition and based on the aims and purposes of the author. While a critical review is a statement of opinion, it must be a considered judgement including:
    • a statement of the reviewer's understanding of the author's purpose
    • how well the reviewer feels the author's purpose has been achieved
    • evidence to support the reviewer's judgement of the author' achievement.

Preliminary Mechanical Steps

  1. Read the book with care.
  2. Note effective passages for quoting.
  3. Note your impressions as you read.
  4. Allow yourself time to assimilate what you have read so that the book can be seen in perspective.
  5. Keep in mind the need for achieving a single impression which must be made clear to the reader.

The Review Outline

The review outline enables you to get an over-all grasp of the organization of the review, to determine what central point your review is going to make, to eliminate inessentials or irrelevancies, and to fill in gaps or omissions.

By examining the notes you have made and eliminating those which have no relationship to your central thesis, and by organizing them into groups, several aspects of the book will emerge: e.g., theme, character, structure, etc. After ordering your topics--determining in what sequence they will be discussed--write down all the major headings of the outline and then fill in the subdivisions. Keep in mind that all parts of the outline should support your thesis or central point.

The Draft

The opening paragraph, like the concluding one, is in a position of emphasis and usually sets the tone of the paper. Among the various possible introductions are:

  • a statement of the thesis
  • a statement of the author's purpose
  • a statement about the topicality of the work or its significance
  • a comparison of the work to others by the same author or within the same genre
  • a statement about the author

The main body of the review should logically develop your thesis as organized by your outline. Changes in the outline may need to be made and transitional paragraphs introduced, but the aim should be toward logical development of the central point. Quoted material should be put in quotation marks, or indented, and properly footnoted.

The concluding paragraph may sum up or restate your thesis or may make the final judgement regarding the book. No new information or ideas should be introduced in the conclusion.

Steps in Revising the Draft

  1. Allow some time to elapse, at least a day, before starting your revision.
  2. Correct all mistakes in grammar and punctuation as you find them.
  3. Read your paper through again looking for unity, organization and logical development.
  4. If necessary, do not hesitate to make major revisions in your draft.
  5. Verify quotations for accuracy and check the format and content of references.

Some Considerations When Reviewing:

| Fiction | Biography | History | Poetry |

Fiction

(above all, do not give away the story)

Character
  1. From what sources are the characters drawn?
  2. What is the author's attitude toward his characters?
  3. Are the characters flat or three dimensional?
  4. Does character development occur?
  5. Is character delineation direct or indirect?
Theme
  1. What is/are the major theme(s)?
  2. How are they revealed and developed?
  3. Is the theme traditional and familiar, or new and original?
  4. Is the theme didactic, psychological, social, entertaining, escapist, etc. in purpose or intent?
Plot
  1. How are the various elements of plot (eg, introduction, suspense, climax, conclusion) handled?
  2. What is the relationship of plot to character delineation?
  3. To what extent, and how, is accident employed as a complicating and/or resolving force?
  4. What are the elements of mystery and suspense?
  5. What other devices of plot complication and resolution are employed?
  6. Is there a sub-plot and how is it related to the main plot?
  7. Is the plot primary or secondary to some of the other essential elements of the story (character, setting, style, etc.)?
Style
  1. What are the "intellectual qualities" of the writing (e.g., simplicity, clarity)?
  2. What are the "emotional qualities" of the writing (e.g., humour, wit, satire)?
  3. What are the "aesthetic qualities" of the writing (e.g., harmony, rhythm)?
  4. What stylistic devices are employed (e.g., symbolism, motifs, parody, allegory)?
  5. How effective is dialogue?
Setting
  1. What is the setting and does it play a significant role in the work?
  2. Is a sense of atmosphere evoked, and how?
  3. What scenic effects are used and how important and effective are they?
  4. Does the setting influence or impinge on the characters and/or plot?

Some Considerations When Reviewing Biography

  1. Does the book give a "full-length" picture of the subject?
  2. What phases of the subject's life receive greatest treatment and is this treatment justified?
  3. What is the point of view of the author?
  4. How is the subject matter organized: chronologically, retrospectively, etc.?
  5. Is the treatment superficial or does the author show extensive study into the subject's life?
  6. What source materials were used in the preparation of the biography?
  7. Is the work documented?
  8. Does the author attempt to get at the subject's hidden motives?
  9. What important new facts about the subject's life are revealed in the book?
  10. What is the relationship of the subject's career to contemporary history?
  11. How does the biography compare with others about the same person?
  12. How does it compare with other works by the same author?

Some Considerations When Reviewing History

  1. With what particular period does the book deal?
  2. How thorough is the treatment?
  3. What were the sources used?
  4. Is the account given in broad outline or in detail?
  5. Is the style that of reportorial writing, or is there an effort at interpretive writing?
  6. What is the point of view or thesis of the author?
  7. Is the treatment superficial or profound?
  8. For what group is the book intended (textbook, popular, scholarly, etc.)?
  9. What part does biographical writing play in the book?
  10. Is social history or political history emphasized?
  11. Are dates used extensively, and if so, are they used intelligently?
  12. Is the book a revision? How does it compare with earlier editions?
  13. Are maps, illustrations, charts, etc. used and how are these to be evaluated?

Some Considerations When Reviewing Poetry

  1. Is this a work of power, originality, individuality?
  2. What kind of poetry is under review (epic, lyrical, elegaic, etc.)?
  3. What poetical devices have been used (rhyme, rhythm, figures of speech, imagery, etc.), and to what effect?
  4. What is the central concern of the poem and is it effectively expressed?

Sources of Book Reviews

Many indexes, such as ABI Inform and Historical Abstracts include citations to book reviews. Reviews can also be found at book-related online sites, such as Amazon.Com. The following indexes are devoted entirely to book reviews:

  • Book Review Digest 1905+ (Z 1219 B72 REF INDEX)
  • Book Review Index 1965+ (Z 1035 A1 B72 REF INDEX)
  • An Index to Book Reviews in the Humanities 1960-1990 (Z 1219 I38 REF INDEX)
  • Canadian Book Review Annual 1975+ (Z 1375 C3 REF INDEX)