How to Write a University Book Report
A book report for a university is a complicated assignment which requires not only patience and attention, but also well-developed critical thinking skills and background knowledge about literature, stylistics and symbols in the text. The student who is asked to prepare a quality book report is able to cope with the assignment well if he looks through the professional university book report writing tips below:
Step One. Read the Text Taking Notes
It is not enough to read the whole book, but the student is obliged to record everything essential for the analysis. One should read the book attentively thinking about the plot, looking for the problems in the text, the relations between the characters, etc. In order not to miss the useful facts about the essential issues, the student is supposed to take notes writing down the information and marking the important paragraphs directly in the book or copying them with the help of the visual devices (take photos, Xerox, etc).
Step Two. Study the Author's Biography and the History of Writing
It does not worth mentioning that the information about the author is extremely important for the quality of the whole book report and understanding of the book, its problems and plot. It is useful to learn about the historic period of the author's life and the historic events reflected in the book. Obviously, the characte's life presented in the book is the reflection of the write's life and the current problems of the society. The writer observes the life of the people around and presents this information on the paper.
Step Three. Introduce the Book Well
The primary part of a book report is the introductory part which informs the professor about the genre of the book, the author, the year of publication, the volume and other technical parts, like the structure, composition of the book, etc. The student is obliged to compare the book with the other works of the author and define the major differences between them.
Step Four. Dwell on the Characters and Problems of the Book
The book has its own idea, numerous problems and characters which exist around the common theme. The student is supposed to define the idea of the book, the problems which can be found in the text and between the lines and observe the descriptions of the appearance and psychological qualities of the characters in order to make their full images. This part of the report in the broadest one and requires maximum efforts and time. It is important to analyze the characters form all sides and relate them with the problems illustrated in the text.
Step Five. Focus on Stylistics and Conclude the Text
The language and stylistic devices of the text are no less important than the plot and theme of the book. The ability to define the stylistic variety of the book demonstrates the studen's background knowledge and huge perspectives for the future humanistic academic career. In conclusion one should summarize the information and evaluate the relevance of the book and define its place in the world literature.
