2. Key successfactors Beingabletoexpress a reasonablysophisticatedopinion Using a range of vocabulary Usingappropriategrammar and register (nottoo formal ortoo informal) Beingabletosummarize Statingyouropinion
3. Vocabulary Use a varied and richvocabulary, avoidingunnecessaryrepetitions. Tomakeyourtext more interesting and informativetoread, use adjectivesfornarrativeprecision and adverbs of degreetomodifythem. Checkthatthestyle and register are appropriate.
4. Grammar Make use of a variety of grammaticalstructures. Participleclauses can helpyoutoachieve textual concision, as they can substituteconjunctions and relativeclauses. Checkthatthestyle and register are appropriate.
5. Summarizing Whenwriting a bookor film review, giveyourreader a brief idea of theplot in a summary. Makeyoursummarybrief and concise. Don’tgiveawaythewholestory. Use thepresent tense.
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.
