The content of books may vary greatly since the purpose of authors is either to entertain or to provide information in many ways. So, what do book reviewers usually do? First of all, they classify each book in a basic category, either fiction or non-fiction. Then, they do a brain storming activity asking themselves numerous questions to which they answer with sudden inspiration and originality. Following their path, here are some questions that you may use to begin, but need to adapt to the requirements of your school or teacher.

Basic categories:

In what category would you classify the book you have read? Would it be fiction or non-fiction?

Questions for Fiction

The main characteristics of all works of fiction are developed in the following questions which refer to: (1) background, (2) plot, (3) characters, (4) theme, (5) style, (6) gestures, (7) way-of-life or culture, (8) civilization.

Questions for Non-Fiction

The great variety of books in this category makes it almost impossible to cover them all. Nevertheless, teachers recommend readings in the following types: (9) biographies, (10)autobiographies and memoirs, 11) essay collections, 12) books in general.

1. Background.

(Synonyms: context, scenery, landscape, scene, atmosphere, environment, habitat, setting)

  1.1 Where does the action take place most of the time?

  1.2 Is the background (environment and social setting) very different from what you are familiar with?

  1.3 Does the environment influence the actions or personalities of the main characters?

  1.4 Is the setting familiar to the author?

  1.5 Do the setting descriptions create appropriate atmospheres or moods?

  1.6 Could you discuss whether the book does or does not represent its era?

2. Plot.

(Synonyms: account, collusion, conspiracy, intrigue, outline, plan, setup, story, stratagem, manoeuvre, narrative, scheme, sketch, storyline, strategy)

  2.1 Could the events in the story take place in real life?

  2.2 Can you trace the development of the plot in its main phases?

•   2.2.1 What is the event related to the rising of the action?
•   2.2.2 What is the climax -the highest point of interest or excitement- of the story?
•   2.2.3 What is the event related to the falling down or turning point of the action?
•   2.2.4 What is the denouement or “unknotting” of the plot? Is it logical, reasonable, probable or rather unusual?

  2.3 Does the plot follow a chronological line, beginning at the birth of the hero's story, following him through childhood, adulthood and death?

  2.4 Do the incidents follow one another naturally or mechanically without any preparation?

  2.5 Does the plot follow like a stream of consciousness disclosing memories, joys, agonies, reveries -with no respect to time?

  2.5 How is suspense created, if there is any?

  2.6 What is your reaction to the plot created by the author? Do you agree or disagree with its development?

3. Characters

  3.1 Who are the main characters in the story? Do they remind you of friends, family or popular people like TV or movie stars you know?

  3.2 What makes the characters interesting? What keeps them busy every moment? What choices are they making? How are they speaking in a certain way? When they are not around, how are they discussed by other characters?

  3.3 Are the characters "round" and dynamic, changing and behaving unpredictably or do they remain "flat" or static as the story develops? Can you trace the psychological evolution of the main characters? ¹

  3.4 How do the main characters see themselves? How do they wish the others to see them? How are they seen by others?

  3.5 What is the point of view of the story teller? Does he describe his characters from the outside as an impartial observer or from the inside as an omniscient supernatural being? Or is it from the point of view of one who does not know the motivations of others?

  3.6 What are the strengths or weaknesses of the personalities of the main characters?

  3.7 What important character did you prefer or dislike the most?

  3.8 What minor characters are interesting? What makes them so?

  3.9 Does the author create characters that he seems to know well?

  3.10 Who is the hero and who is the villain in the story, if there are any? How does the hero give himself away -in gesture, inflection, choice of words?

  3.11 What are the roles of women and men in the work read?

4. Theme

(Synonyms: central idea, issue, message, motif, point, question, subject, thesis, topic, concept)

  4.1 What are the main ideas or themes of the book you have read?

  4.2 What was the author’s purpose in telling this story? To amuse? To entertain? To criticize? To develop a social problem?

  4.3 What does the book have to offer? Is it enjoyment, adventure, insight, etc?

  4.4 What message is the author trying to prove or explain in this story?

  4.5 If there is a problem in the story, how does the author introduce that problem? How does he develop and solve it?

  4.6 Has the central idea of the story influenced your thinking? What new ideas have inspired you? What clearer insights have you acquired?

  4.7 Would you read other stories on the same theme? Explain.

  4.8 How would you illustrate that theme if you were to design a book jacket on that story? ²

5 Style

(Synonyms: design, diction, expression, form, genre, idiom, model, phrase, rhetoric, tone, wording)

  5.1 In what literary genre(s) would you classify this work? (Mystery, adventure, science-fiction, etc.) Explain your choice.

  5.2 What particular figures of speech or symbols from this work would you like to analyse?

  5.3 Is there a basic structural design underlying the story? For instance, do the events happen chronologically?

  5.4 Are statements written preferably in the positive form instead of the passive voice?

  5.5 Is the language definite, specific, and concrete rather than indefinite, vague and abstract?

  5.6 Are there misused words and expressions in the novel?

  5.7 How do the sentences run? Are they long, short, involved, varied, symmetrical?

  5.8 How do the characters talk? Do they speak naturally as in real life or artificially out of the mouth of the author? Do they use a dialect?

  5.9 What is the tone of the language? Is it warm and friendly, wise and fatherly, cold and formal, strong and offensive? Find in the book some quotations to illustrate your point of view and write clear interpretations of these citations.³

  5.10 What relationship do you establish between the text (words used, style, tone, effects, figures of speech, rhythm, rhyme --if applicable) and the life and work of the author?

  5.11 How do you evaluate the book according to your personal aesthetics or stylistics?

Supplementary Questions for Fiction

6. Gestures

(Synonyms: action, activity, animation, motion, movement, signs, emotion, posture, attitude, gesticulation, gesturing, sign, touch, shrug, nod, glance, wink, wave)

  6.1 What is the main character’s mood or message by observing his gestures?

  6.2 What foreign-culture gestures seem to be common and uncommon?

  6.3 How can you distinguish between native and foreign culture gestures?

  6.4 Can you identify and explain the meaning of certain gestures in particular situations?

  6.5 Can you summarize the book you have read in the field of body language?

7. Way-of-Life or Culture:

  7.1 Are the objects, people or scenes of the book typical of a particular way-of-life or culture?

  7.2 What life styles do the women and men lead or follow in this book?

  7.3 Are there aspects of a way-of-life or culture that you could compare and contrast in this book?

  7.4 What current events, trends, problems or issues are presented from the view point of a way-of-life or culture?

  7.5 What do you like and dislike the most about the way-of-life or culture in this book?

8. Civilization:

  8.1 What similarities and differences exist between the two different civilizations?

  8.2 How are languages, works of art, styles of music, painting, sculpture and architecture different?

  8.3 Can you relate the book you have read to its historical period or the current events?

  8.4 Can you evaluate the merits of this book and its contribution to the culture under study?

  8.5 What understanding of historic, philosophic, and (or) aesthetic ideas does this book express?

  8.6 How does this book contribute to art, music, political science, or philosophy?

  8.7 What influence has this book had on your thinking.⁴

Questions for Non-Fiction

9. Questions for a Biography

  9.1 Has the author researched thoroughly, carefully and extensively the subject of the biography? What kind of references are used?

  9.2 Does the biography reflect the research accurately? Is the author fair?

  9.3 If the subject is still living, has the author tried to interview him or her?

  9.4 Has the author tried to interview people who have known the subject, have worked with him or her, are related to him or her, are friends, associates or even enemies?

  9.5 What unusual human elements did the subject have? What were his qualities, talents, etc.?

  9.6 Has the author accurately given many name-date-place information covering most of the subject’s life?

  9.7 Does the biography read well or does it sound like a list of facts and figures?

  9.8 What focus has the author selected for the biography? For instance, a biography on the life of Lord Durham would focus on British colonial administration in Canada. This focus would be appropriate for a history class report.

  9.9 Does the reader get a good glimpse of the subject with his personality traits, his educational background, his experiences, his contributions, his influence on the people and events of his time? ⁵

Note: Refer to Biography.com for information about some of today's famous people.

10. Questions for Autobiographies and Memoirs

An autobiography is the account of a person’s life written by himself and centred on himself. A memoir deals with the recollections of famous people or of people who have witnessed major events and is concerned with persons and actions other than the writer. Diaries, journals and letters are usually not prepared for the public eye, but parts of them may be included in an autobiography.⁶

  10.1 Has the author done a good research on the most significant moments of his life?

  10.2 Is the author indulgent, severe or fair toward himself in his self-analysis?

  10.3 What human elements, qualities and talents do we learn about the author?

  10.4 Has the author accurately given many name-date-place information covering most of his life?

  10.5 Does the autobiography read well or is it just a list of facts and figures?

  10.6 What recollections does the author have of other people and of important events in his life?

  10.7 What focus has the author selected for his autobiography?

  10.8. Do you get a good glimpse of the author’s personality traits, educational background, experiences, contributions, and influence on the people and events of his time?

  10.9 What evaluation do you make of the author’s autobiography?

11. Questions for an Essay Collection

  11.1 What important subjects does the essay collection cover?

  11.2. Does the author seem to be a master of his domain? What evidences are there of his professionalism, his general background, his extensive research on various topics, his writing experience and his knowledge of the world?

  11.3 Does each essay of the collection follow a general plan beginning with an introduction which presents a clear topic or thesis statement, then expanding into developmental sections with topic sentences, transitional words or phrases, and a conclusion bringing the essay to an end?

  11.4. Is the essay collection interesting, capturing the reader’s attention because of its timeliness and actuality?

  11.5 How would you qualify the writer’s viewpoints? Is the writer sensitive to others, fresh with new ideas, liberal or conservative, imaginative and creative, etc.?

  11.6 Do you agree or disagree with most of the ideas expressed by the author? Do you find his arguments convincing, worthwhile, witty and varied?

12. Questions for Books in General

Some popular books are occasionally hard to classify because they deal with practically any subject such as adventure, psychology, politics, travelling, cooking, etc. The following questions would apply to any book.

  12.1 Author(s): Who wrote this book? Was it written by one author or by a group of authors? What is the author's academic and professional background? Has the author written other works of the same type? Is the author an authority on this subject?

  12.2 Subject(s): What is the subject covered in this book? Does the subject deal with facts or opinions mostly? What is the range of ideas discussed or described? Is the subject logically planned and developed? Is it well explained and illustrated? What are the most important ideas and experiences mentioned?

  12.3 Focus: What is the focus of this book and how broadly is it covered? What are its themes or features? What point of view does it highlight? Does it bring to light new aspects or does it propose new solutions to specific problems?

  12.4 Goal(s): What goals does the author expect to achieve? Is it a contribution to culture or to one field of knowledge, or to fill a need for information in an area?

  12.5 Style: What are the most important qualities of style of the author(s)? Are the chapters and the paragraphs properly developed, the sentences varied and strongly built, the words and expressions well chosen, the tone appropriate to the subject, the emotions and feelings balanced? Are there any weaknesses in style?

  12.6 Publication: Where, when and by what house was the book published? Is it a first, second or tenth edition?

  12.7 Evaluation: What have you learned by reading this book? What are your reactions and comments about it? Would you recommend it to others? Why? Has the reading or the study of this book changed your ideas about a point of view or about people or things? Do you agree or disagree with the author(s) conclusions? Has this book made you a better human being?

  12.8 Comparisons: How would you rate this book on a scale of ten? Why? Do you consider this book superior, inferior or equal to other books you have read on the same subject? Why? Would you try another book written by the same author(s? ⁷

  12.9 Rating: How would you qualify this book? Is it a masterpiece or a milestone, a classic or a commercial, a great book or a near great? Explain and defend your point of view.

  12.10 Criticism: Could you summarize several present-day critical opinions or reviews of the book read? Are these opinions fair to the work? Do you agree or disagree with some of the opinions or reviews about that book? Explain your point of view.