To begin thinking of reviews, one first must answer the question of what is a review. According to University of North Carolina’s website, “A review is a critical evaluation of a text, event, object, or phenomenon” (UNC). Reviews are written about multiple genres aside from literature, ranging from dance performances to restaurants (UNC). Since this entry specifically pertains to contemporary literature, an important element of writing a book review is being cautious of not reporting a summary, but rather, the goal is to make an argument. When offering your critical perception of a text, the reader wants your opinions. Another distinguishing factor is the size. For the majority, reviews are general concise comments on an event. The author states his or her opinion and expands on how he or she gathered it in a brief fashion. Finally, the author of a review usually finishes with the greater audience in mind and how they will perceive the book, or whatever the case may be. Most reviews attempt to persuade their readers to act on their review. In some cases, this means buy the novel; in others, the critic advises his or her audience not to read the material. Continuing to draw from UNC’s educational website, a review can be considered a “two-step process: developing an argument about the work under consideration, and making that argument as you write an organized and well-supported draft” (UNC). When writing a review, it should flow in a logical order; this means including a thesis! A suggested format to follow includes: “an introduction, summary of content, analysis and evaluation of the book, and conclusion” (UNC).
An example of a respectable review is written by John Deming about Natasha Tretheway’s Native Guard titled “The More That You Appear.” The reader is brought to Deming’s stance on the book immediately because he begins his review by agreeing that Tretheway deserves the Pulitzer Prize for this short collection of poetry. Following Deming’s initial praise of Native Guard, he summarizes her book as “the mistreatment and murder of the Louisiana Native Guards and the murder of her mother at the hands of her mother’s second husband” (Deming). John Deming uses examples from Tretheway’s text in conjunction with his recap of the book to show the readers a taste of what is in store for them if they choose to read her poetry. Following the summary of Native Guard, the reviewer writes of what it brought to him. Deming explains, that her book “reinvigorates the notion that to be alive is to forget.” Continuing in the review, the critic goes into detail of Natasha Tretheway’s writing style and the overall thematic element of discovering parallels in the murders of the African-American Union soldiers of the Civil War and her mother. While Deming gives a positive review, he also draws attention to some of Tretheway’s flaws. However, he believes that the Tretheway’s minor errors do not override the genius of her work. In the end, Deming finishes with a short conclusion of Native Guard and his opinions regarding the book.
I think John Deming’s “The More That You Appear” is a perfect model of a review because one unmistakably sees his critical analysis on Natasha Tretheway’s Native Guard. The reader is capable of depicting all of the steps the UNC website suggests in writing a review, and it is in a logical sequence. I enjoyed reading Deming’s review, and if I had not already read Native Guard, I believe that he would have convinced me. The two links both serve as beneficial references in the upcoming assignment. UNC clearly states review guidelines, and John Deming’s review compliments it by being an excellent example.
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