Writing A ReviewClick to go on

Keep it relevant

Keep it focused

Keep it tight

What Is Expected?

The good review shows the reviewer has read, seen or participated in the whole of some work of art, show or presentation. The reviewer shares reactions and makes informed commentary on the whole of, or parts of, a work. The review may compare or contrast, or just describe, as well as inform. Don’t give away endings or twists in a review!

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Steps To Success

• Do some gathering of information before you see the work or participate in the event. What else has been done in similar circumstances? How has this director / author / producer / artist / group tackled ideas previously? Are there ‘signature’ colours or poses, themes or messages that often come up in their work?

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Decide on a Format for the Review

• Click here for a comparative review lesson

• Click here for a descriptive review lesson

A Comparative Review

There are three comparisons which may be made:

• with the same author’s previous work

• with similar work by others in the same genre or time (e.g., horror movies, cubism)

• with other work usually available at that specific place (gallery, cinema, publisher)

Comparison with the same author’s previous work

Mention the name(s) of previous/other work. Declare what it is being compared (style, imagery, quality of imagination, character development, use of texture, colour palette, physical space, light, sound volume or timbre, instrumentation, audience involvement, etc.). Be specific in the naming of other work and state precisely the nature of the comparison. Do not make gross generalizations. Be particular. Click to go on.

Comparison with the same author’s previous work (II)

Say whether you found the work you are reviewing to be effective. (i.e., Do not review the previous work by your comparison. Stick to your topic.) Was the artist’s communication clear to you? Did others seem to ‘get it’ too? Eavesdrop shamelessly at an intermission … what are others saying? Can you use this information? How do other readers react to the story? Their comments, too, are grist for the mill. Click to go on

Comparison with work in the same Genre

Similar work in the same genre may be compared, e.g., a Stephen King film and an Alfred Hitchcock, or the cultural word-painting of Rohinton Mistry and Vikram Seth (India), or the characters of Barbara Kingsolver and Margaret Atwood (both wonderful character-builders, for my money). Click to go on

Comparison with work often available at that place

An audience may return frequently to a place for art because of a predictable quality such as realism, breaking with taboo, 20th. Century modernism, for sale under $250.00, the use of suspense, and so on.

The audience has been groomed by the artist, writer, director or curator to be able to appreciate a specific sort of thing done in a specific way. (Two good examples are the audience for opera and the readership of a daily newspaper of quality, such as The Globe And Mail.) Click to go on

Comparison with work often available at that place (II)

The comparison may fairly be made as to the quality of ‘fit’ of a new work, idea, format, into the expected or predictable in the space, or by that author, or directed by that person.

How would James Kudelka’s “Nutcracker” compare to someone else’s “Swan Lake”, for example? Or Rowling’s “Harry Potter” books to the “His Dark Materials” series of Philip Pullman?

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A Descriptive Review

This format simply shares how something was experienced by the reviewer and how this may be duplicated by the reader, participant, attendee. Notes about details are shared and ways of enjoying are suggested (i.e., bring earplugs, be prepared to slow down and enjoy something, get ready to read all night, etc.). Short paragraphs will be effective in this style of review.

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How to begin a Review

After all the ‘prep work’ for the review has been done, and a format decided upon, the first paragraph you write needs to set the stage for the rest of the review. “Last night’s opening of “Gladiator” at the Varsity was heralded by excited three-block line-ups of eager fans of the director’s previous pictures”, sets the stage for a comparative review. Click to go on

Beginnings (II)

“The Amber Spyglass, set in contemporary England and a fanciful series of worlds, the latest offering for the young adult reader from Pullman, joins a genre of writing accessible on several levels, including the work of Lewis and Rowling”, could open a book review based on genre.

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Beginnings (III)

“This mounting of early works by well-known Canadian artists is clearly a departure from the usual offerings at The Front Gallery, a high-profile private showroom on Edmonton’s Gallery Row which usually features contemporary work by avant-garde artists.” This opening directs the reader to consider what else may be known about the gallery in question, and may pique interest to either see the show or give it a miss.

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Expressing a Negative Opinion

If you choose to share a negative opinion, be sure to say why. In what way is the work lacking? Clutter? Texture? Poor dialogue? Digressions which do not advance the story? Self-referential indulgences and ‘in’ jokes? Harmonic balance?

What problem does this cause the consumer of the artistic experience? Again, be particular and precise. Is the whole work affected, or just parts?

State clearly how you believe the situation could be corrected. Click to go on

Expressing a Negative Opinion (II)

Do NOT use a shotgun approach, blasting away with unaimed accusations. “This tawdry, bloated morsel of pathetic rubbish …blah blah blah …” will only get you, the reviewer, crucified in the press not only by your peers (and teachers) but the general public as well. Remember to focus on the work, not the worker. Even if you truly loathe Danielle Steele novels, and can say why with clarity and precision, you don’t know her, so don’t blast at her personally. Click to go on

Remember to paragraph wellPlan your review with an introduction, setting, a

discussion of specifics and some concluding statements. This goes for any style of review.

Check your judgments, facts and claims BEFORE printing your work. Nothing damages a reviewer’s credibility like an apology, retraction or correction.

Paragraphs should generally be short and pithy, no longer than 3 sentences. Keep the writing style simple.

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The End

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