Reviewing Reflections

Over the past two weeks, I've forayed into a new kind of writing - book reviewing.

I wrote a literary review for my Canadian Literature class on Ken Finkleman's Noah's Turn and a more popular review of Portia de Rossi's memoir Unbearable Lightness for the Book section of the Winnipeg Free Press.

Things I learned:

1. I love reviewing because it gives me an excuse to read.

I love reading novels, but often feel to guilty to do during the school year.

2. A literary review is different than a popular review.

As Morley Walker, editor of the Free Press book section, told me, 98% of the people who read the review in the paper will never read the book, so you have to give them the highlights. Therefore, the review is a lot of summary and picking out some of the book's highlights.

For a literary review, it is assumed that your audience has read the book, so I skipped the summary and went straight into the criticism.

3. Reviewing fiction is different than reviewing non-fiction.

It's hard to critique the events of a non-fiction story as they (should be) true to life. Instead, you have to focus on the selection of events, pace of the story and telling of the events.

4. I hope to do more reviewing in the future.

I love talking to people about books, especially books I've read and that I like. Reviewing is just another way to do that. If I like the book, I almost feel it's my own personal mission to convince others they should, too.

(Image from bearcave.com)