How to Write an Analysis of a Book
Do you know how to write an analysis of a book? To start off, you need to understand what an analysis entails. A book analysis is a paper that described personal and accurate information related to literature. Typically, book analysis should be covered in 4 paragraphs.
The analysis is supposed to present a short overview and review of a book without presenting the details that are unnecessary. You might decide to write one so as to critically think about the work of literature and establish your preferences.
Tips on how to write an analysis of a book
In order to write an impressive analysis, there are a couple of things you need to bear in mind. These are as highlighted below:
Step one-Read the book
To start off, you should read the book. This makes it possible for you to comprehend and also analyze it in a better manner by looking at its negative and positive attributes.
Step two-An outline
Once you are done reading the book, it is time you create an outline. This is important as it makes it possible for you to organize information. At the very least, the outline is supposed to have 4 headings. The first should be an introduction, the second a literary objective, the third characters in your book and the last section should have the negative and positive aspects of that book.
Step 3-Organizing introduction material
The first thing you need to do in order to write an impressive analysis of a book is to organize introductory information. This should be done in the outline and the introductory paragraph is supposed to have basic information regarding the book like:
- Date of publication
- Name of author
- A brief summary
- The title of the book
- Whether it is part of a series or genre
Step 4-Establish literary objective
You have to determine what the literary objective is. This should be done under your second heading of the outline. You should write notes regarding the message the author wanted to portray while writing the book. For instance, they could have written a book regarding friendship so as to display typical characteristics. Also, you need to list some of the literary devices they have used in the book. For instance, they might have used foreshadowing to provide insights into how the book will end.
Step 5-Characters
Next, you have to take notes that shed light on the characters in the story. When writing the outline and analysis of the book, it is important to explain some of characters in the book. For instance, the central character might have a bold personality while their friend, also in the book might be timid and shy.
Step 6-Write the negative and positive aspects
It is important for you to write the negative and positive aspects of the book. For instance, positive aspects could be the fact the book has an engaging plot and that it was perfectly descriptive while negative aspects could be that the characters were laid back and not engaged in their role hence delivering a disappointing outcome. Keeping these tips in mind will make it easy for you to know how to write an analysis of a book.
Step 7-Write the analysis
Now that your outline is ready, it is time to get started working on your analysis. Each of your headings is supposed to correspond to a paragraph of its own. Avoid using the pronoun “I” as you write the paper.
Step 8-Proofread
Once done writing your analysis, it is time to proofread it. Make sure that you read it out loud. This is important as it will help you identify mistakes that you might have not noticed earlier. You can also request one of your friends to read it out loud. Fix the mistakes you find and write the last copy of the book analysis.
A simple outline to follow while writing an analysis of a book
You can read the sample this sample to get an idea of how to write an analysis of a book. While at it, it is also important to break down the simple format you need to follow while writing your own book analysis:
- The first paragraph/section should tell
- The book’s name
- Authors name
- Date when the book was published/written
- Once sentence summary on the topic of the book(do not provide a full summary)
- Other pertinent details regarding the book such as whether it is part of a series or whether it is connected to the career or life of the author.
You can also include other details that are interesting regarding the book in this section such as whether it is historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy or any other genre.
- The second paragraph/section should tell
- The goal the author had in mind while they were writing that book. You should not confuse the goal of the author with the theme
- The devices used by the author to attain their goal
- The core section/third paragraph tells
This section should discuss characterization in the book. List distinct ways in which the author has established characterization and in each case, provide support for that observation and a reference.
- The last section/paragraph should sum the analysis
In this case, there are a couple of things you need to highlight such as:
- The strengths of the book
- The weaknesses
- Indicate the kind of person most likely to enjoy reading the book
Stylistics guidelines you must consider
Here are some more guidelines to help you know how to write an analysis of a book with ease:
Be subtle and sure
- Never use phrases like “in my own opinion”, “I believe” or “I think”. This is because the analysis is your own opinion and using such terms would come across as if you are making apologies for that opinion.
- If you are uncertain about something, do not fudge or hedge. It is advisable to research and find out the truth. Going back to the story and studying it is a good move and it will keep you from guessing or second-guessing yourself.
- Avoid being self-conscious-You should not refer yourself as the reviewer or author, the analysis as such or ‘the reader’ as if others are far less enlightened compared to you. The major focus of the analysis is supposed to be the author and the book therefore keep it where it should be.
- Do not inflate the subject or analysis-Do not state or imply the analysis is “greatest of all time”. The fact your analysis and book is well written should be enough.
- Bear in mind that others can read the book in order to get a complete experience of what it is all about. Therefore, the analysis is supposed to be, a condensed form of your insights into the technical support of the author and their goal.
- It is not easy to find a book that is badly written. Whether or not you enjoy a book is dependent on the competence of the author and not individual taste. This is as it is supposed to be. Therefore, instead of simply trashing a book you failed to enjoy, the most ideal and productive approach is to ascertain the kind of person that might enjoy reading the book. Probably, your individual feelings regarding the book should not be stated by implied by the choice of words you use. It is important that you realize majority of the books are a combination of weaknesses and strengths. Therefore, bear this in mind as you work on your analysis.
- In the outline, always make sure that you label every new subsection or section with a letter or a number (where appropriate) and with a header that describes what is contained in that section (do not use numbers that do not have headers as that would be incorrect).
You can find another sample to refer to at here that will help you know how to write an analysis of a book without having to deal with the pressure that accompanies such a task.
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References
http://www.sta.cathedral.org/lowerschool/form1/Eng1JAVwww/Literature/BookReptGuides.html
http://classroom.synonym.com/write-book-analysis-paper-4574.html