Review Writing Review Writing The critical review is

Review Writing

Review Writing • The critical review is a writing task that asks you to summarize and evaluate. The critical review can be of: • a book, a chapter, a journal article, • movie, • dramas, • art piece/exhibition, • restaurants, • any product, • even theory or research article.

Review Writing • To be critical does not mean to criticize in a negative manner. • Rather it requires you to question the information and opinions in a text and present your evaluation or judgment. • Decide the strengths and weaknesses of a text. • Based on specific criteria

Review Writing • Evaluating requires an understanding of not just the content. • An understanding of purpose, • The intended audience • Why it is structured the way it is.

Film Review • Identifying genre, purpose, audience and style • The first step is to get familiar the genre (or form). • Start reading some published film reviews. • What is the purpose of review?

Film Review • A film review should have a number of purposes: • To inform: • The review needs to tell people who is in the film, who it is by and where or when readers can see it. • To describe: • The review should describe the story, characters and some of the action - without spoiling the plot or giving too much away!

Film Review • To analyze: • A good review gives an opinion on whether the film is good or not and why. • To advise: • Finally, the review should tell the reader whether or not to go and see the film. • These different purposes will give you a basic structure for your writing.

Film Review • All good reviews follow a similar structure • Introduction: • This gives an overview of who is in the film and what it's about. It also sums up the reviewer's conclusion about the film (so readers can form an opinion without reading the whole of the review)

Film Review • Paragraph 2: • The reviewer then describes the plot and the action, while informing the reader which actor plays which role. • Paragraph 3: • The reviewer then analyses the film, talking about the director and then the actors, looking at good things as well as bad things.

Film Review • Finally: • The review informs the reader when the film is out (and sometimes, in a local review, where it can be seen).

Book Review • A book review is a description, critical analysis, • An evaluation on the quality, meaning, and significance of a book, not a retelling. • It should focus on the book's purpose, content, and authority. • A critical book review is not a book report or a summary.

Book Review • It is a reaction paper in which strengths and weaknesses of the material are analyzed. • It should include a statement of what the author has tried to do, • Evaluates how well (in the opinion of the reviewer) the author has succeeded, • Presents evidence to support this evaluation.

Writing a Fiction Book Review • • • Points to Ponder: What was the story about? Who were the main characters? Were the characters credible? What did the main characters do in the story? Did the main characters run into any problems? Adventures? • Who was your favorite character? Why?

Writing a Fiction Book Review • Your personal experiences • Could you relate to any of the characters in the story? • Have you ever done or felt some of the things, the characters did? • Your opinion • Did you like the book? • What was your favorite part of the book? • Do you have a least favorite part of the book?

Writing a Fiction Book Review • Your recommendation • Would you recommend this book to another person? • What type of person would like this book?

Book Review • Write a statement giving essential information about the book: title, author, first copyright date, type of book, general subject matter, special features (maps, color plates, etc. ), price and ISBN. • State the author’s purpose in writing the book. Sometimes authors state their purpose in the preface or the first chapter. When they do not, you may arrive at an understanding of the book’s purpose

Book Review • For understanding the purpose, ask these questions: • Why did the author write on this subject rather than on some other subject? • From what point of view is the work written? • Was the author trying to give information, to explain something technical, to convince the reader of a belief’s validity by dramatizing it in action?

Book Review • What is the general field or genre, and how does the book fit into it? (Use outside sources to familiarize yourself with the field, if necessary. ) Knowledge of the genre means understanding the art form. and how it functions. • Who is the intended audience? • What is the author's style? Is it formal or informal?

Book Review • Evaluate the quality of the writing style by using some of the following standards: coherence, clarity, originality, forcefulness, correct use of technical words, conciseness, fullness of development, fluidity. • Does it suit the intended audience? • How well has the book achieved its goal? • Would you recommend this book or article to others? Why?

Book Review • State theme and thesis of the book. • Theme: The theme is the subject or topic. It is not necessarily the title, and it is usually not expressed in a complete sentence. It expresses a specific phase of the general subject matter. • Thesis: The thesis is an author’s generalization about theme, the author’s beliefs about something important, the book’s philosophical conclusion, or the proposition the author means to prove.

Book Review • • Example Title: We Had it Made General Subject Matter: Religious Intolerance Theme: The effects of religious intolerance on a small town • Thesis: Religious intolerance, a sickness of individuals, contaminates an entire social group

Book Review • Explain the method of development-the way the author supports thesis. Illustrate your remarks with specific references and quotations. In general, authors tend to use the following methods, exclusively or in combination.

Book Review • Description: The author presents word-pictures of scenes and events by giving specific details that appeal to the five senses, or to the reader’s imagination. Description presents background and setting. Its primary purpose is to help the reader realize, through as many sensuous details as possible, the way things (and people) are, in the episodes being described.

Book Review • Narration: The author tells the story of a series of events, usually presented in chronological order. In a novel however, chronological order may be violated for the sake of the plot. The emphasis in narration, in both fiction and nonfiction, is on the events. Narration tells what has happened. Its primary purpose is to tell a story.

Book Review • Exposition: The author uses explanation and analysis to present a subject or to clarify an idea. Exposition presents the facts about a subject or an issue as clearly and impartially as possible. Its primary purpose is to explain.

Book Review • Argument: The author uses the techniques of persuasion to establish the truth of a statement or to convince the reader of its falsity. The purpose is to persuade the reader to believe something and perhaps to act on that belief. Argument takes sides on an issue. Its primary purpose is to convince.

Book Review • Evaluate the book for interest, accuracy, objectivity, importance, thoroughness, and usefulness to its intended audience. • Show whether the author's main arguments are true. • Respond to the author's opinions. What do you agree or disagree with? And why? • Try to find further information about the author - reputation, qualifications, influences, biographical, any information that is relevant to the book being reviewed and that would help to establish the author's authority.

Book Review • Summarize (briefly), analyze, and comment on the book’s content. State your general conclusions. Pay particular attention to the author's concluding chapter. Is the summary convincing? List the principal topics, and briefly summarize the author’s ideas about these topics, main points, and conclusions. Use specific references and quotations to support your statements. If your thesis has been well argued, the conclusion should follow naturally. It can include a final assessment or simply restate your thesis. Do not introduce new material at this point. .