The Book Review
A book review is not simply a plot summary or an unsupported opinion of how well the
reader did or did not like the book. A book review includes information about the book (plot,
characters, setting, mood, theme, etc.) and the reviewer's opinion of how well the author has
succeeded in writing an effective story. A good book review presents evidence to support this opinion,
and, in the process, helps the reader gain an insight into the story. In general, the writer of a book review
gives enough information to help the reader decide whether he or she wants to read the book, but not so
much as to spoil the joy of discovery that comes from reading a good book.
To do a good job of reviewing a book, the writer must know the book thoroughly. This
requires a careful, attentive reading (and rereading of certain parts). The writer must also know what kind of
book it is he or she is reading (romance novel, biography, historical novel - science fiction, etc.)
and what characterizes good literature of this type. For example, it would be wrong to criticize a
biography because it lacked a strong plot or to find fault with a science fiction novel because it
had an unrealistic setting. As you read, consider the following points:
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As You Read
1. Determine the author's purpose in writing this book. Read the preface and introduction—
they often contain Clues and occasionally a specific statement of the author's purpose or
intention.
2. Look closely at the title and subtitle. Sometimes (but not always) the title or subtitle can
provide important clues as to the "meaning" of the book.
3. As you read, take notes on anything that you feel could be useful to you later when you
attempt to piece everything together. (Example: "The author's description of the character's
first day of school is very believable. The overly friendly attitude of the teacher is especially
effective.")
4. Make a list of especially good or especially weak passages, as well as any passages that you
might use as quotations in your review.
5. Summarize each chapter (or every 15-20 pages). React to your summaries: Are you enjoying
the story to this point? Why or why not? Are you confused about anything in the story? What
questions would you like to ask someone else about the book?
Before You Write
1. Read about the author in other sources, especially if you find yourself needing to know
more about his or her background, qualifications, or philosophy. (Include this information in your
actual review only if it will help the reader understand the book or your review more clearly.)
2. Decide what the theme or central point of your review is going to be. Be sure you have a
significant and well-defined theme. Avoid themes which are too obvious, too general, or vague.
Word your theme (thesis statement) carefully, making certain you understand all the key
literary terms used.
3. Go over your notes and list the evidence (examples, quotations, summaries), which
supports your theme.
4. Arrange into an outline or plan your evidence and all other points you plan to cover in
your review. Make sure that all of the information relates to your thesis. Arrange your points
in a logical way so that your reader will be able to follow your thinking and how you came to
the conclusion you did.
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Things NOT to Do in Your Review!!!!!!
1. Do not attempt to write a review unless you have read the book carefully and
completely.
2. Do not simply write a plot or character summary, or include so much summary that it
buries your interpretation.
3. Do not make general statements about the book without supporting them with specific
examples or quotations.
4. Do not include so much factual information in your review that it becomes more of a
"report" than a review. Use personal, colourful language and include your opinions,
interpretations, and observations.
Book Review Structure
Intro: Catchy opening sentence
Brief plot summary (don’t spoil the punch)
Relevant information about the author
Thesis statement (your overall opinion about the novel)
Body: A discussion of your thesis statement. In other words, a discussion of each literary element
as it relates to your thesis statement and how effectively the author succeeded in creating the
story (one paragraph each element discussed: either characters, setting, mood, plot and/or
theme).
You must also include examples and quotations to support your opinions.
Conclusion:
Your conclusion should stress the importance of the thesis statement.
Give the essay a sense of completeness (come full circle)
Would you recommend it to others? Why or why not?
Leave a final impression on the reader
A Father’s Legacy. A Review of: The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
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Some forms of fantasy are pure escapism. Other forms use magic and myth to promote social
consciousness. And then there's The Princess Bride, a book that exists in a class all
its own. William Goldman's tale of True Love, Harsh Revenge and Rodents of
Unusual Size exhibits a gleeful audacity seldom seen in literature before or since.
To begin with, Goldman's masterpiece is not simply The Princess Bride. Rather, it's
S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure, the 'good parts'
version abridged by William Goldman. In a lengthy preface, Goldman recounts
how his father read The Princess Bride to him, as he lay sick as a child. Once
Goldman reached adulthood, he discovered that his father hadn't read the book
exactly as written, leaving out a lot of boring social satire and commentary.
This, Goldman proudly states, is the abridged version he remembers, the "good parts version,"
and happily interrupts the narrative time and again to make some point or other about this
particular sequence of events. Everything he says is well thought-out, reasonable, and such a
bald-faced lie that it's difficult to not to take anything Goldman says as true.
Princess Buttercup lives in Florin, a mythical country (from which the equally mythic S.
Morgenstern and Goldman's family supposedly hail) located in some obscure part of Europe
next to the equally obscure country of Guilder. At the beginning of the tale, Buttercup is one of
the 20 most beautiful women in the world, and after her true love, Westley, is apparently lost at
sea to the Dread Pirate Roberts, she quickly rises up the ranks to become the Most Beautiful in
all the world. This attracts the attention of fiendish Florin Prince Humperdink, who plans to
marry her and then have her killed to provoke a war with neighboring Guilder. At the last
moment, a mysterious masked stranger (Westley, of course) arrives to save her, and the real story
begins.
Needless to say, there's a lot of Stuff with a capital "S" in here. Goldman himself wrote the
screen adaption for the wonderfully quirky movie of the same name, and it's simply amazing
how similar the two are to each other -- a rarity, as anyone who's ever seen a favorite novel
butchered by Hollywood. The trio of villians who kidnap Buttercup -- the wily Sicilian Vizzini,
Turkish giant Fezzik and Spanish swordsman Inigo Montoya -- are much more than the evil
cutouts so common in fantasy works. Each one has his own personal quest, personal goals that
are ultimately fulfilled in some form or fashion. Inigo's quest of avenging his father's death is
particularly rousing, especially when he finally confronts the murderer and says the famous line:
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
There's a lot of fun here, and anyone looking for a straightforward narrative is likely to be very
confused. There are no dark overlords, no magic rings to be thrown into burning mountains.
Anyone not looking for those things will be pleasantly surprised. Goldman proves you don't have
to be a Tolkein clone to write rousing fantasy. It's just too bad that more writers today don't seem
believe that.
Now that you’ve read this review, answer the following questions:
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Vocabulary Building: copy the words in bold letters from the text in the column below. Find
the definition using the context, then use the dictionary to verify.
Word
Definition
Questions: Answer the following questions. Make your answers as complete as possible.
1. What is the author’s thesis statement (his opinion)?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. How did William Goldman find the inspiration to write this novel? Explain.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Where did the story originally come from?
________________________________________________________________________
4. Who are the main characters?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. Who are the villains?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
6. What does the reviewer think of the movie adaptation?
________________________________________________________________________
7. Where does the story take place (setting)?
________________________________________________________________________
8. What is the story about?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
9. Would you read this book? Why or why not?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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Instructions:
A) Annotate this review with elements in the box below. Use the margins for your annotations.
Author’s description, body, book title, characters, conclusion, intro, mood, plot, plot summary,
review title, setting, theme (message), thesis statement.
B) Highlight the opinions stated by the reviewer. Then, underline the justification.
The Art of Combining a Thrilling Story with Hard Science
A Review of the Novel Timeline, by Michael Crichton, (Ballantine, 1999)
It's very rarely that a book attempts to combine both elements of
science fiction and medievalism, and one would be predisposed to
think the idea somewhat foolish. However, Michael Crichton has done
just that in his latest novel, Timeline, and his results are none too
shabby.
Crichton is a master of catching a reader's attention. If this wasn't made
obvious in some of his prior notable stories (Jurassic Park, Eaters Of The
Dead, Sphere), then it should definitely be obvious after this book. From
the very onset of the story I found myself enthralled in the events and
characters, eager to see what would happen next.
Of course, I did find a small portion of the story to be a bit slow-paced.
There are easily more than a 100 pages before any real swords-and-guts
action begins for the group that obviously becomes the protagonists. This
is not necessarily a bad thing because even during this lull of straightforward action there is a great deal going on and the story never becomes
boring.
Crichton has the ability to explain complex theory in a way that is
interesting and thought-provoking. I would have never tried to grasp the
fundamentals of quantum theory on my own, but Timeline manages to
present it all in a fairly easy (or at least as easy as quantum physics gets)
manner. I found the theories expressed to be highly intriguing and went
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so far as to do my own research after finishing the novel. I've never come
across such an ingenious concept for time travel. Crichton even managed
to eliminate the problem of paradox normally associated with stories such
as these.
This story primarily revolves around a small group of scientists who are
all specialists in various areas of 14th-century history. They are trying to
rebuild two ancient castles at an archaeological site in France. The
company funding the research suddenly decides it wants more immediate
results in the restoration, and the lead man on the restoration site vanishes
during an attempt to find out why the research and rebuilding are
suddenly being pushed along. His colleagues, worried at his lengthy
absence, soon find themselves on a much grander adventure than they
ever anticipated.
The whole story is wonderful, though somewhat predictable in places.
Most people will have figured out the ending long before they reach it,
but that takes nothing away from the way the story is told. Crichton has a
magical way with weaving tales, a way of putting the images directly into
your mind and making you really live them, and Timeline is one of his
best examples of that to date. You will always feel wrapped up in what
the characters are feeling and doing.
Timeline manages to be a story for just about everyone. Of course, it will
take a slightly more mature reader to fully comprehend the slimmed
down quantum physics explanation, but you don't need to really
understand how they time travel to understand the plot. This story has
everything from futuristic supercomputers to medieval jousting, and it
does this all without coming off as ridiculous. Fans of Crichton will
adore this book, and even those who have never picked up a Crichton
story before won't be able to avoid liking it. Timeline is definitely a piece
of highly recommended reading.
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ANNEX 1
TRANSITIONS AND LINKING EXPRESSION
accordingly
after
after all
after that
after which
afterward
in the second place,
etc.
in the meantime
in the future
in summation
later
presently
previously
similarly
subsequently
simultaneously
soon
likewise
that is
and
another
an additional
earlier
even if
even if
even so
eventually
finally
first (second, third,
etc.)
for example
for instance
for this reason
meanwhile
moreover
nevertheless
as a result
from that moment
next
as soon as
at first
at last
at the same
moment
before long
besides
but
conclusively
conversely
consequently
furthermore
hence
hereafter
one . . . the other
one . . . and another
once . . . now
then
therefore
to begin with
to illustrate
this
to support this
thus
ultimately
however
on the contrary
when
in addition
in comparison
in fact
indeed
initially
in the first place
on this occasion
or
other
otherwise
preceding this
prior to this
while
whenever
yet
also
To begin introduce first or main point:
at the outset
first
from the inception first of all
from the beginning in the first place
initially
one . . . the other
one . . . another
originally
primarily
to begin (with)
To continue with other points or details:
accordingly
consistent with this
also
in addition
another
in succession
besides
in the next place
To conclude or summarize:
in the second (third) place
in turn
to continue
next
as a result
at last
conclusively
therefore
thus
to conclude
in brief
in other words
it is apparent
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to sum up
ultimately
finally
in conclusion
it is evident
in summation
to recapitulate
to review
To introduce examples:
an example of this for instance
an illustration of
such as
this
a further example to exemplify this
for example
to illustrate this
there are several
examples . .
there are (two, three, etc.)
To indicate time or chronological sequence or progression:
Past--that which occurred before:
before
beforehand
before this
earlier
in earlier time
in the past
preceding this
previously
prior to this
Present--that which is occurring:
at present
currently
on this occasion
presently
now
at this moment
now
Future--that which is yet to come:
from this time
hereafter
eventually
in the future
at the same time
at that moment
as this occurred
during the same
time
in the future
in the course of events
in future generations in time to come
in the approaching
sooner or later
days
(years, ages, etc.)
Same time as another occurrence:
concurrent with this meanwhile
in concert
simultaneously
in the meantime
together
just as
while
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To introduce evidence or support or reasons:
to bear this out
to corroborate
to confirm this
furthermore
to attest to this
to endorse this
to affirm this
to support this
to substantiate this
to verify this
to further (confirm,
verify, etc.)
moreover
there are several . . .
there are (two,
three, etc.)
To introduce a contrast or difference:
antithetical to this conversely
at variance with
in contrast to this
this
contradictory to inconsistent with
this
this
in opposition to
contrarily
this
contrasting this dissimilarly
differing from this
on the contrary
in spite of this
on the other hand
instead
yet
notwithstanding
unlike this
nevertheless
To introduce a comparison or similarity:
accordingly
analogous
in concurrence
similarly
with
compatible with
similar to this
this
in keeping with
just as . . . so
this
in comparison to
likewise
this
to balance
to collate
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to parallel
Questions for Self-Evaluation.
Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
Name: ____________________________________________
Title: ___________________________________
Answer the following questions.
Evaluate when necessary.
1.
Did you read the book you chose in its entirety?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________/5
2.
Did you do all of the exercises and readings leading up to the production of your book
critique?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________/5
3.
What did you learn from reading your novel?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4.
What did you find difficult? How would you evaluate your effort in solving your
difficulties?
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________/5
5.
What must you do perfect or improve writing and reading? (Set a goal)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
6.
What did you like most about your novel?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
7.
What didn’t you like about your novel?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Total:
12
/15