Critical Book Review (assignment for graduate students only)
Due March 31 by 5 pm in turnitin.com

Since SACS requires that graduate students do more assignments and go deeper into the subject than undergraduates in 500-level mixed enrollment courses, you are required to do a book review of a critical work on Middle English literature. Choose a critical monograph (not a collection of essays) written since 1995 on some subject of Middle English literature (but not a book focusing exclusively on Chaucer). You can find many such books in Dacus Library under the subject heading "English literature Middle English, 1100-1500" and then sorting by reverse year; you must clear the title with me in advance. Your objective is to show the depth of your critical reading skills and how you can take what you are learning in this class and connect it to some other scholar’s work.

In 4-6 double-spaced pages, your review should

  • Briefly summarize the book’s argument (by brief, I mean around 300 words—this is not a book report)
  • Describe the author/editor’s critical and theoretical approach
  • Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the book or collection. What assumptions, themes, or beliefs is it furthering?
  • Discuss how useful the book is in furthering your understanding and furthering of medieval literature
  • Assess its overall success (you may wish to consult reviews of the book if you can find them; the MLA Online Bibliography may be of service here).
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    If you use any secondary sources, such as reviews (and this is not required!!!!), please make sure to document them carefully using 2009 MLA documentation. Any quotations or paraphrases from the book you’re reviewing must also be documented appropriately.

    Feel free to discuss drafts or outlines with me and/or to use the services of the Writing Center, should you so desire.

    The following handouts offer some good tips on writing critical book reviews if you want to refresh your memory.