Writing a review

1. WRITING A REVIEW
NEFa

2. Key success factors
• Being able to express a reasonably
sophisticated opinion
–Using a range of vocabulary
–Using appropriate grammar and register
(not too formal or too informal)
–Being able to summarize
–Stating your opinion

3. Vocabulary
• Use a varied and rich vocabulary,
avoiding unnecessary repetitions.
• To make your text more interesting and
informative to read, use adjectives for
narrative precision and adverbs of degree
to modify them.
• Check that the style and register are
appropriate.

4. Grammar
• Make use of a variety of grammatical
structures.
• Participle clauses can help you to achieve
textual concision, as they can substitute
conjunctions and relative clauses.
• Check that the style and register are
appropriate.

5. Summarizing
• When writing a book or film review,
give your reader a brief idea of the
plot in a summary.
• Make your summary brief and
concise. Don’t give away the whole
story.
• Use the present tense.

6. Have your say
• Leave some space to give your own
opinion in a summarized, concise
way.
• Include some criticism as well as
praise.
• Would you recommend it?

7. Examples of reviews

8. Lasting and Luminous, 7 May 2009
By
Teacher Girl
This review is from: Beloved (Vintage Classics) (Paperback)
I had never heard of Toni Morrison before this book was suggested as the
next read at my book club, although she has been honoured with a Nobel
Prize for Literature. After reading "Beloved" I can see why she won the
Pulitzer Prize for this haunting novel. The book is written in a style which is
at first hard to get used to, and I found the first eighty pages or so
challenging. However, the beauty and poetry of the narrative is
penetrating, and perfectly contrasts with the brutality of the plot.
The novel revolves around Sethe: her struggle for freedom from the
oppressive and highly disturbing life that she leads as a slave, and the
shocking and heartbreaking decision she comes to in order to 'save' her
children from such a life. When a stranger arrives at her door the lives of
Sethe and those closest to her are changed forever.
"Beloved" is a novel which has stayed with me long after I read the last
page, and is a must-read for any serious literature lover.

9. 4.0 out of 5 stars Sleep with the lights on if u dont already!, 23 Nov 2009
By
Sefa (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Beloved (Paperback)
For the critical reader, this book will give you much to think about; even if you're not, you'll still have to lot
to consider on what you have read.
The only negative comment I have about this book is that because its a work of fiction and because of
Morrison's almost poetic style and the difficult issue of slavery, it is sometimes hard to remember (for
me anyway) that her characters (although fictional) were based around real people (google Margaret
Garner).
Beloved is just the tip of the REAL horrors of slavery. If you find the events that occur in the lives of the
characters' bad enough, consider this: a lot worse happened to a lot of REAL life people. Its strange;
this life, this century is all, all of us living know and have experienced. Because there isnt the same
widespread and overt forms of racism there once was, I found it difficult (even as a black person) to
fully comprehend the fact that these were real people who suffered during the slave trade. What
would have happened to ME had I been living during that time? Not only am I black, but Im also a
woman. Its the reality of who I am NOW and who I could have been had I lived during those times that
"messes with my head" and makes me think beyond the literary aspects of the novel.
Who would YOU have been? Mr. Garner? Sethe? Denever, Miss Bodwin, Mrs Garner, one of the Pauls,
Sixo Halle? Baby Suggs perhaps? Schoolteacher or one of his nephews? Sethe's Ma'am or Ella or Mrs
Jones? Or Beloved and one of Ella and Ma'am's many "murdered" mixed babies?
To fully appreciate this book, I recommend reading it carefully (slowly) and aloud and if you dont
already, get ready to sleep with your lights on (I still do, 3 months after reading this book!).

10. 1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Too obtuse, 30 May 2010
By
DubaiReader "DubaiReader" (Dubai United Arab Emirates) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE)
This review is from: Beloved (Vintage Classics) (Paperback)
I really struggled to finish this book, it just seemed unnecessarily complicated. I read it for a book group
and managed to get the gist of most of the book through the discussion, but if I'd been reading it
alone I would almost certainly have abandoned it.
I suppose you'd call it a ghost story as Beloved died as a baby. She lives as a spirit in the house
occupied by her mother, grandmother, brothers and sister. When the boys leave and the
grandmother dies, we are left with just Beloved, her mother and sister. Beloved's presence becomes
more and more real as time passes, until we are led to believe that she is actually living in the house.
Meanwhile the story recounts the events that lead up to the family occupying the house. They were
originally slaves and the experiences they have had are, at times, quite traumatic. Unfortunately I
was not always quite sure exactly what was going on, where the baby was born, what happened to
her father etc.
I was sorry that this book was not more readable as the problems encountered when given their
freedom are every bit as interesting as the struggles of the slaves while in captivity. I would have
liked to have enjoyed this and learned from it.
I had previously read Sula by this author and only rated it 2*. I doubt I shall read any more Toni
Morrison.