If the book belongs to you, feel free to highlight passages and write in it. If the book doesn’t belong to you, use sticky notes to mark the passages instead.
It might be a good idea to keep several different pieces of paper next to you for notes. One can be for general impressions and quick thoughts, another can be for lists of characters and events, and one more for recording the book’s major themes and ideas. You can also take notes to keep track of words you don’t recognize. Use a dictionary to look these up as you go, and then write down the definitions. [3] X Expert Source Jake AdamsAcademic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
You can also make a timeline of the major events that occur in the book, especially if the chronology is complicated or confusing. Keep multiple timelines if the story jumps back and forth between different plotlines.
The beginning will be focused on introducing the major characters and establishing the setting of the story. The middle will explore the major “problem” of the book, whether it’s a fight between good and evil or a murder mystery. The end will resolve the book’s major problem.
For example, the author may want to show readers that pride leads people to make bad decisions. To demonstrate this, the main character keeps getting themselves into situations that are above their head because they’re prideful and arrogant. If you’re reading a nonfiction book, the main idea might be something about history or society. Maybe the author wants to show readers that fast food is unhealthy, and the book brings up lots of examples to prove that point.
For example, if your word limit is 200, write between about 190 and 200 words. Even if you’re writing a summary for your own use, consider keeping it on the short side. Having a summary under 500 words gives you a quick and easy reference tool.
You could say something like: “J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone tells the story of a young, orphaned boy who discovers he’s a wizard. He learns that there is a whole Wizarding World full of good bad witches and wizards during his first year as a student at Hogwarts. ”
This part of the summary might look like: “The first part of the book introduces the reader to what it’s like to be a wizard. The reader experiences how amazing this is with Harry himself, who’s new to this world as well. As the story goes on, it’s clear that something dark is happening at Hogwarts, and Harry needs his new friends, Ron and Hermione, to figure out what it is. The end of the book focuses on a series of tests and trials that Harry could not make it through without relying on friendship and his mother’s love. ”
For example: “Rowling used her story to show that even talented people need friendship and love to overcome evil. ”
For instance, you could say, “Both Professor Quirrell and Lord Voldemort disappear after failing to obtain the Sorcerer’s Stone,” instead of, “It really sucks that Voldemort escapes because he is the worst and the author should have made sure he was captured. ”
Don’t rely on spell-check, as it can’t account for context and won’t catch grammatical errors like misuse of “there,” “their,” and “they’re. ” You may be writing your summary for a book club or your own use. While editing isn’t as big a deal in these cases, you’ll still want your summary to make sense. Give it a quick read-over to make sure it’s clearly written.
You should also make sure you’re near a lamp or a window so you don’t strain your eyes while reading.
If this is for a school assignment or book club, start reading as soon as the book is assigned. Your teacher or group leader has probably calculated the exact number of weeks you’ll need to finish the book and write the summary without stressing out over it.
These passages usually won’t be focused on description. Instead, they’ll cover a turning point in the plot, a tragic event, or the resolution of some conflict.
