Review means the opinion of a person on a work that was already undertaken by another person. Writing such review in the form of an essay is called review essay. In order to write a good review essay, one needs to follow certain steps such as:
Read the original work completely
To be able to write a review, one needs to study the original work carefully and scrupulously. Then, one needs to get a full idea of what the work is about and what it conveys to the people. Even if the beginning of the work is not interesting, one has to go through the entire work. If one stops at the beginning and writes a review, he/she cannot full knowledge about what happens next in the original and ends up writing a bad review. We never know how the original ends unless we study the same. Some works which do not appear interesting in the beginning end up being fabulous at the ending. For example, Agatha Christie’s And then there were None is a classic example of such a work. So, no matter what, finish the entire work and then and only then start writing the review.
Estimate the time:
After going through the original, estimate the time taken to study the original and write your review in a clear and specific manner so that the people reading your review will have an idea about how much time it takes to read the original. Not everyone can read with the same pace, make sure that you are not speeding or dragging. Provide an approximate time for an average reader. This helps the reader in planning on when and where to read the original.
Do not reveal all the details, maintain the suspense:
Do remember that you are writing a review. Do not give any spoiler alerts. Let the readers understand and grasp the suspense of the original on their own and let them enjoy the nuances and the twists of the original. Remember, they are reading your review only to get first hand knowledge of the original and not to know everything about the original. Let them be surprised and shocked, do not steal their emotions.
Do not elaborate or omit:
To write a good review essay, you have to make sure that the gist of the original is conveyed to the reader without the essence of the original being lost. Make sure that you do not skip out on the important aspects and details. At the same time, make sure that you do not elaborate too much. You are only reviewing the original, not writing the original. The readers should get know the plot of the original but they should still look forward to reading the original.
Create interest in the original:
The main purpose of writing a review essay is to enhance the interest of the readers to read the original. If that does not work, the very purpose of writing the review essay would be lost. Remember that your job is to touch the feelings and emotions of the readers and ignite their passion towards the original. A good review essay makes the readers not only understand the original better but also helps in creating a wider audience for the original.
Do not be afraid to point out the pros and cons:
The very purpose of a review essay is to analyze the original. Do remember that a review need not always praise the original. If you feel that the original lacks something or that the original could have been done in a different manner, do not hesitate to add your views in the review. It does not matter whether the readers concur with you or not. Do make sure that you are not spoiling the essence of the original or that you are not manipulating the original. The gist of the original should be intact and your views on it should be portrayed to the readers.
Maintain a stable mind:
Most review essays end up contradicting themselves. The writer of the essay would be both subjective and objective at times. Avoid it at any cost. The readers are not interested in your subjective opinion. It must be remembered that your views and your subjective opinion are different. So, maintain a stable mind and write the review as objectively as possible. Your subjective opinion may end up overpowering your sense and rationality ant it only prejudices the readers. If they are prejudiced against the original, your purpose of a review essay fails. If they are prejudiced towards the original and end up being disappointed, your worth as a review essay writer falls. Either way, it tests you and your ability. Keep that in mind and write the review.
By: Poojitha Bapathu
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