HOW TO WRITE A BOOK CRITIQUE PAPER IN 2021

Writing a Book Critique Paper: Table of Content

Nowadays, writing book critique paper is one of the most common and important academic assignments at the educational facilities of all levels.  It is directed to make students think critically. It also helps them to consistently and accurately express their thoughts about the novels they read. Consequently, students start to understand the value of the book to the audience.  A good critique paper performs a role of the book’s press kit because it involves all its valid characteristics. Also, before reading the text, the majority of readers get acquainted with its critique first. After that, people usually decide whether the novel is actually worth reading. Thus, such analysis has a crucial impact on the literary destiny of each book. When students and writers get assigned to write a critique paper on the specific text, they frequently mix it up with its review. They simply tend to summarize the overall plot instead of trying to analyze it. Such approach is a huge mistake. To prevent this, you have to be aware of a difference between these two concepts. Specifically, a book review is based on the summary of the book’s plot.  It aims at briefly retelling the main points and events of the story. In contrast to the book review, critique paper is focused on the direct analysis and evaluation of the book’s content.

Steps of Creating a Powerful Book Critique Essay

Summary

Before you start writing a book critique paper, you should read the novel and summarize its key points. Once you have finished with this, you will develop an overall opinion about this story. Also, based on the personal impression, you will be able to write a good reflection in your paper. Making notes of the main points will help you to write your paper consistently. This simple trick will make your critique well-organized.

The Main Idea of Writing

Next important step of writing such paper is to identify what was the author’s main goal when he or she was writing this text. It will help you to determine the key value of the book that you criticize. Once you identified the writer’s main idea in this story, you need to analyze it properly.  To do so, you can provide answers to the following questions:

  • Does the book present the author’s main idea clearly?
  • Is the main idea of the story relevant to the audience? In what ways?
  • How does the author develop his or her ideas throughout the novel?
  • Did the writer manage to implement his or her goal of writing this book?
  • How does the story unfold the writer’s message?
  • What are the main arguments that support writer’s idea in the book?

Writer’s Biography

If you decide to research the personal background of the author, you will be able to discover his or her own thoughts and circumstances that influenced the particular story. Thus, you will be able to reveal the main issues that the author tended to raise in the novel and a message he or she wanted to convey to the readers.

Analysis of the Style

Another important step in writing a book critique is a profound analysis of its writing style. At this phase, you should consider the following items:

  • Is the novel easy and readable?
  • Does the author clearly highlight events in it?
  • Does the writing style of the book make reading process more interesting?

Required Parts of a Book Critique Paper

Similarly to any other solid academic papers, you should structure this type of work. Separate it into such main parts as introduction, body, and conclusion. However, you should not forget that this type of written work requires the appropriate writing of each section. Here are some recommendations for writing introduction, body and conclusive part of the book critique paper:

The Introduction

In the first part of your evaluation, you should provide the title of the novel and the name of its author. After that, you have to present the writer’s main idea and discuss the relevance of the story to the audience. The final statement of your introductory part should be focused on your opinion of this story. You will subsequently develop this point and argue it in your essay.  This statement will become the thesis of your assignment.

The Body

Despite the fact that such paper should not be focused on the novel’s summary, some its part will make a sense in your assignment. The reader of your critique should be generally aware of the plot of the novel. They need to know it so understand your evaluation of the work.  You are completely eligible to start the body part of your analysis summarizing the key events and points of the novel. Once you finished a summary of the book, you need to start working on the evaluation of the plot. This is the most critical component of your entire paper. To make it accurate, you should discuss the following points:

  • Consider whether events in the plot are presented in a logical consistency;
  • Describe the novel characters, evaluate their personalities and behaviors. What impression did they have on you?
  • Analyze the language style of the novel. Discuss stylistic devices the writer used in the text. How do they express his or her ideas?
  • The next stage implies a direct analysis and evaluation of the author’s main idea in the story. Discuss it and mention how it may relate to the readers. What is the value of the main idea? Did the author manage to prove it? Support your analysis using text examples. Make sure you mentioned the values the author tended to convey to the audience through the novel. What does it teach people? What are its aspects the society should be aware of?
  • Share your personal thoughts regarding the book. Talk about its strength and weaknesses. How did the novel affect your mind?

The Conclusion

This is the final paragraphs of your critique. Here, you should sum up you major points from the book and restate writer’s thesis. Then, provide your own thoughts regarding the work. Say whether you agree with the author’s position in the novel. Also, mention whether you recommend reading this book to others.

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