A book analysis is a very useful tool to store what you have read throughout your studies. Book analysis requires reading with pencil and taking notes, especially for compulsory books. In order to have a better understanding of how to do a book analysis, the example used is Middle England by Jonathan Coe, compulsory book for the course.
I. Technical information:
Technical information comes directly from the book, it doesn’t require a personal effort. For the students reading in Kindle, please consult your fellow students or me. I will gladly give you the information needed.
- TITLE:
Middle England.
ATTENTION!!! The title always in italics when written in your computer. Underlined if handwritten.
If the title of the book contains a sub-title, please write it too.
- AUTHOR:
Jonathan Coe.
- DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION:
2018.
You will find this information in the very first pages of the book, usually on the left page before dedications or quotes.
ATTENTION!!! If you are reading a translation, date of publication will be the one in the country of origin.
Example: Middle England, translated from English, first published in UK in 2018. Spanish translation published in 2019.
- PUBLISHER:
If you read the book in English, you should write Viking 2018, if you read it in Spanish, Anagrama 2019.
If the book belongs to a specific collection, please write it too.
Example: Anagrama has published El corazón de Inglaterra in the collection “Panorama de Narrativas”.
In your book analysis, you will write:
Publisher: Editorial Anagrama, colección: Panorama de Narrativas.
II. Complementary information:
- ON THE AUTHOR (MOST RELEVANT HINTS):
This information requires a little research on your part. Please avoid copy and paste from Wikipedia or Google!!! An original presentation will be appreciated not to mention plagiarism which is a very serious offence.
Here are some tips you could use:
- Man or female.
- Nationality.
- Year of birth.
- Is he/she a professional writer? Does he/she have another job?
- Is it his/her first work of fiction?
- Has he/she received any award for this book? For other books? Please write only the most relevant, not a list of awards and especially the ones connected with our book.
- LITERARY GENRE:
Comedy, Drama, Horror fiction, Romance, Satire, Historical, Realist, Science-fiction, Political,…
If you consider that the book belongs to several genre, please write it duly explained.
Example: you may consider that Middle England is a satire with a realist perspective.
ATTENTION: You have to choose the main genre.
- THE SETTING:
Where is the book located? In what historical context?
Example: Middle England spans on a period of time that starts in 2010 and finishes in 2018. XXIst century.
- MAIN CHARACTERS:
In this section, you have to write on the main characters of the book, their names, professions, their social context (i.e.:Benjamin Trotter is aspiring to publish his book), and also relationships between them.
III. Summary and Personal Opinion:
- SUMMARY:
The summary will contain the novel’s basic facts.
- PERSONAL APPRECIATION:
Basically, it is writing whether you have liked the book or not, whether you would recommend it or not. Your opinion must be duly justified, a yes or no is not admissible.
You can also write a sentence that has stricken you and discuss it.
You may grade the book, too.
