G & G Book Report Page

Questions to Ponder

Your General Impressions

  1. Does the book inspire you?  Repel you?  Startle you?  Help you to better understand your own feelings? Make you angry or convince you're right about something?  Why and How?

  2. What, if any, real life information (history, customs, culture) is given in the course of the book?  Does it seem tacked on, or is it presented subtly?

  3. How does the title relate to the book?  Is it a good one?  A Misleading one?  What title would you have chosen?

  4. Is the author concerned mostly with telling about particular events; presenting exciting action, evoking a particular mood, portraying a certain character or characters; or importing a particular message?   How does he do this?

  5. Does the protagonist come across as a real person or as a cliché?

Plot

1.  What time period does the book cover, e.g., one hour, one day, one lifetime?  what details of the character's past does the author allude to in order to make current action more comprehensible?

2.  Does the story have a simple plot or a complicated one?  As you read it, were you aware of how the sequence of events was developing?  Or could you detect the planned pattern of happenings only after you'd finished the book?  Does the author foreshadow events?  Spring a surprise on you?  How?

3.  How do the major events help to shape the personalities and actions of the characters?  Do you find it sad that the characters can't foresee the future impact of current events and interaction?

4.  Do the conflicts and dilemmas seem universal to you, i.e., do they reflect your own and other people's experiences, even if particular events do not?  Why?

5.  What is the major conflict of the book?  What events acting on each other intensify this conflict?  Create suspense?  Tension?

6.  Is the climax believable and inevitable or artificial and forced?
 

Characterizations

1.  Is the characterization of major importance in the book?  If not, why?

2. Does the author give the characters much dialogue?  Dcomfortableoes the dialogue realistically reflect their ages, nationalities, etc.?  Does the author use it to imply certain things about their backgrounds, education, outlooks, or social class?  How?

3.  Are the causes for the characters' actions made clear, i.e., both underlying, long existing causes, and immediate ones?

4.  Do you like the various characters?  Dislike them?  Respect or sympathize with them?  Understand their motivation?  Why?  How do you think the author feels about each of them?

5.  Does the author present a well-rounded picture of the protagonists, or does he emphasize one particular trait?  How do the author's emphasis and manner of presentation affect whether or not you like and approve of the protagonist?

6.  How is the protagonist's personality influenced by his environment?  Background?  Associations?  Interactions?  Chance encounters?  Luck or fate?   Circumstances?  Does the protagonist dominate them or do they manipulate him?

7.  Despite the protagonists particular age or ethnic/religious background, is he a universal character?  Can you identify with his feelings and emotions?

8.  Does the protagonist grow as a person during the course of the story?  Does he gain strength from, or get defeated by, adversity?  Does he become more or less ethical?  Idealistic?  Disillusioned?  Comfortable with himself?
 

Theme

1.  What is the central theme of the book?  Is it contemporary?  Universal?  Does it center on man against the forces of nature; man against the power of society, man torn by the warring elements of his own personality, man as a victim of fate or ironies of life?

2.  How does the author present his moral, political, special opinions or outlook via this theme?  Does he belabor it or subtly imply it?  Get it across through the words of his character or thorough the turn of events?

3.  Do you think presenting this theme in fiction is as effective, more effective, or less effective then stating it outright as non-fiction?

4.  Do you agree with the message conveyed by the theme?  Did you previously disagree with it?  Do you still disagree with it but nonetheless find the author presents it convincingly?  Do you find yourself confused, leaning toward the author's message but not able to accept it entirely.

Setting

1.  Is the setting important to the plot and theme, or could they have been set anywhere?  Does the author develop the setting extensively, or just mention it and leave its precise nature to your imagination?

2.  If the particular setting is important to the book, how does the author use names, events, speech patterns, historical/biographical elements, or work/play actives to realistically evoke it?
 

Mood

1.  How would you describe the mood, e.g., angry, somber, gentle, tense, frightening, cheerful?  Does it make you happy, neverous, sad, or evoke some other feeling?

2.  How does the author create the mood, e.g., by graphically describing people and places; by prolonging the moments directly before important actions to build suspense; by using emotionally loaded symbols and words?
 

Style

1.  Is the author's style a distinctive one?  How would you classify it, e.g., old-fashioned, modern, ornate, simple, flowery, plain?

2.  How does the author use words to create his individual style, e.g., long involved sentences, short terse sentences, many poetic images and metaphors; very factual, objective narration with little figurative language?