Writing about Literature with 2009 MLA Update: A Portable Guide

by Janet E. Gardner

Click here to find out more about the 2009 MLA Updates and the 2010 APA Updates.

 
 

Writing about Literature introduces strategies for reading literature, explains the writing process and common writing assignments for literature courses, provides instruction in writing about fiction, poetry, and drama, and includes coverage of writing a research paper and of literary criticism and theory.



This volume in Bedford/St. Martin’s popular series of Portable Anthologies and Guides offers the series’ trademark combination of high quality and great value for teachers looking to assign supplementary instruction on reading and writing about literature to their students.

Genres: School, Nonfiction, Read For School, Textbooks, Reference

176 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2003

Reviews

[Abeer Abdullah · Rating 4 out of 5]

simple and wonderful introduction about writing about literature academically. Talks about being a good, critical reader, the steps of academic writing, the components and functions of a tentative thesis, the formats, the sources and the literary schools of criticism, a very simple and wonderful guide for beginners like my self.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bookcrossing copy of this which I read was sent travelling by the author with the explicit instruction that it was to be turned into a communal art-work. I got it early enough in the cycle for it to still be readable, anyone after me would have struggled to make sense of the pages I played with.

I am glad I read it. What amazes me most are the length of sample pieces from students. Our poor KS4 lot (age 14-16) need to produce three times as much for each piece of GCSE Literature coursework - and I'm not sure that all our English staff are quite such friendly hand-holders! I also remember being expected to produce essays of this level for my homework each week at a similar age, so I was thoroughly jealous of the author's students who get time to choose titles and research. Is it merely a difference in location and education system, or have times moved on?

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good short summary of what most English teachers are expecting from you and attempting to elicit from you in literature classes. It's a pretty short book, so if you don't have a lot of time I'd recommend starting with this. It's a little light in some areas, and the missing details can just leave students more confused than before. Obviously detail and portability are always going to be at odds with one another, but I think nothing would have been lost in the portability category by just a little bit more detail. In any case, I'd recommend picking this up in high school or very early on in college if you can, but it's never too late to figure out the literary essay.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty generic but utilizes a lot of good examples for students who are just starting out thinking about literature (ie an intro to literature class). I was especially glad to see the "no hidden meaning" disclaimer at the top of the book. I say it all the time, but no one ever believes ME! Now, maybe they will...

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone returning to school--or starting--this is a great book for refreshing your critical writing skills. It's a slim volume, easy to read and understand. I read it in an afternoon, and have made it a permanent fixture on my writing bookshelf.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm using this for my 102 class this year. Very easy to understand and well written, with info on close reading, the writing process, and lit crit, as well as how one approaches writing a literary research paper in various genres.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you need an introduction, this isn't a bad one. It also has pertinent MLA data in it, so that's helpful, as are the primary sources that it includes.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Using this for a class next semester. My review will depend on how it goes in the classroom.

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've found this book to be very helpful and useful for guidelines to writing better literature paper as well as tips and notes on how to organize a successful research paper.