怎样写作书评--HowtoWriteaBookReview.doc

How to Write a Book Review

There are two approaches to write book review.: 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类型 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编排 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:
o a statement of the reviewer's understanding of the author's purpose
o how well the reviewer feels the author's purpose has been achieved
o evidence to support the reviewer's judgement of the author' achievement.
Preliminary 最初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消化、吸收 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除去 inessentials or irrelevancies, and to fill in gaps or omissions省略、删除、遗漏.
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 论题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,空格，缩进 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经过、流逝, 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 人物
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 描画、描绘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说教的、教诲的, psychological, social, entertaining, escapist逃避现实者, etc. in purpose or intent?
Plot情节、结构
1. How are the various elements of plot (eg, introduction, suspense悬念, climax高潮, conclusion) handled?
2. What is the relationship of plot to character delineation描画、描写?
3. To what extent, and how, is accident employed as a complicating复杂 and/or resolving force?
4. What are the elements of mystery and suspense玄疑?
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 文体、风格
1. What are the "intellectual qualities" of the writing (e.g., simplicity, clarity清晰)?
2. What are the "emotional qualities" of the writing (e.g., humour, wit风趣的, satire讽刺的)?
3. What are the "aesthetic美学的、审美的 qualities" of the writing (e.g., harmony, rhythm)?
4. What stylistic devices are employed (e.g., symbolism, motifs主题、题旨, parody戏仿, allegory寓言、讽喻)?
5. How effective is dialogue?
Setting 背景
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场景 effects are used and how important and effective are they?
4. Does the setting influence or impinge撞击、冲击 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按年代先后的, retrospectively回溯的, etc.?
5. Is the treatment superficial肤浅的 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有文件证明的?
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修订本? 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抒情的, elegaic挽歌、哀歌, etc.)?
3. What poetical devices have been used (rhyme押韵, rhythm节奏, figures of speech, imagery比喻, 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. and so on.

Step 1: Read a Book Review
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Here's a review the authur wrote about one of his favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Read his review, and try using it as a model as you begin thinking about your own book review.
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
Review by Rodman Philbrick
I've never been to Alabama, but novelist Harper Lee made me feel as if I had been there in the long, hot summer of 1935, when a lawyer named Atticus Finch decided to defend an innocent black man accused of a horrible crime. The story of how the whole town reacted to the trial is told by the lawyer's daughter, Scout, who remembers exactly what it was like to be eight years old in 1935, in Maycomb, Alabama.
Scout is the reason I loved this book, because her voice rings so clear and true. Not only does she make me see the things she sees, she makes me feel the things she feels. There's a lot more going on than just the trial, and Scout tells you all about it.
A man called Boo Radley lives next door. Very few people have ever seen Boo, and Scout and her friends have a lot of fun telling scary stories about him. The mystery about Boo Radley is just one of the reasons you want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Scout and her big brother, Jem, run wild and play games and have a great time while their father is busy with the trial. One of their friends is a strange boy called Dill. Actually Dill isn't really so strange once you get to know him. He says things like "I'm little but I'm old," which is funny but also pretty sad, because some of the time Dill acts more like a little old man than a seven–year–old boy.
To Kill a Mockingbird is filled with interesting characters like Dill, and Scout makes them all seem just as real as the people in your own hometown. Here's how Scout describes Miss Caroline, who wore a red–striped dress: "She looked and smelled like a peppermint薄荷糖 drop."
Dill and Boo and Jem are all fascinating, but the most important character in the book is Scout's father, Atticus Finch. You get the idea that Scout is writing the story down because she wants the world to know what a good man her dad was, and how hard he tried to do the right thing, even though the deck was stacked against him.
The larger theme of the story is about racial intolerance, but Scout never tries to make it a "lesson," it's simply part of the world she describes. That's why To Kill a Mockingbird rings true, and why it all seems so real.
The trial of the wrongly accused Tom Robinson takes place during the time of segregation, when black people were not allowed to socialize with white people. In that era, when a white man said a black man committed a crime, the black man was presumed to be guilty. The law required that they have a trial, but everybody knew the defendant was going to be convicted.
Atticus Finch, the quiet hero of the book, tries to persuade the jury that bigotry is wrong. His words are eloquent and heartfelt. He demonstrates that Tom Robinson couldn't possibly have assaulted the victim. Atticus even reveals the identity of the real villain, which enrages a very dangerous enemy. This act of courage endangers not only Atticus Finch but his family as well. They become the target of hate mongers and bigots.
Even though the story took place many years ago, you get the idea that parts of it could happen today, in any town where people distrust and fear each other's differences.
In a just world an innocent man should be found not guilty. But if you want to know what this particular jury finally decides and what happens to Scout and Jem and Dill and Boo Radley and the rest of the people who live and breathe in To Kill a Mockingbird, you'll have to read the book!
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Step 2: Writing Tips
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Here are a few tips that I've found helpful when I sit down to write about a book. Give them a try!
1. Before you begin writing, make a few notes about the points you want to get across.
2. While you're writing, try thinking of your reader as a friend to whom you're telling a story.
3. Try to mention the name of the author and the book title in the first paragraph — there's nothing more frustrating than reading a review of a great book but not knowing who wrote it and what the title is!
4. If possible, use one paragraph for each point you want to make about the book. It's a good way to emphasize the importance of the point. You might want to list the main points in your notes before you begin.
5. Try to get the main theme of the book across in the beginning of your review. Your reader should know right away what he or she is getting into should they choose to read the book!
6. Think about whether the book is part of a genre. Does the book fit into a type like mystery, adventure, or romance? What aspects of the genre does it use?
7. What do you like or dislike about the book's writing style? Is it funny? Does it give you a sense of the place it's set? What is the author's/narrator's "voice" like?
8. Try using a few short quotes from the book to illustrate your points. This is not absolutely necessary, but it's a good way to give your reader a sense of the author's writing style.
9. Make sure your review explains how you feel about the book and why, not just what the book is about. A good review should express the reviewer's opinion and persuade the reader to share it, to read the book, or to avoid reading it.
10. Do research about the author and incorporate what you learn into the review. Biographical information can help you formulate your opinion about the book, and gives your review a "depth." Remember, a book doesn't come directly from a printing press, it's a product of an author's mind, and therefore it may be helpful to know something about the author and how she or he came to write the book. For ins