A book review should give a brief account of the subject matter and its treatment. It should go far toward enabling the reader to decide whether the book will be of value or interest to him, and it should give the particulars necessary for the purchase of the book, - the name of the publisher, the price, and so forth.

Exercises

610. Is the review given below satisfactory? Does the book seem worth your reading ?

Specimens of the Short Story. Selected and edited by George H. Nettleton, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Yale University. Henry Holt and Company, vii + 229 pp. 16 mo. 50 cents.

Dr. Nettleton's selections are interesting. For what may be termed a sketch - the study of narrative in its lowest terms - he chooses Lamb's "Superannuated Man"; for the tale, pure and simple, living's "Rip Van Winkle," - that first great creation of American fiction; for an allegory, Hawthorne's " Great Stone Face "; for a detective story, Poe's "Purloined Letter"; for a burlesque, Thackeray's "Phil Fogarty"; for a story of incident, Dickens's "Doctor Manette's Manuscript"; for a psychological story, Stevenson's "Markheim"; and for a local-color story, Mr. Bret Harte's " Outcasts of Poker Flat." These are not only good specimens of the best narration; they also present peculiarly profitable material for the study of the art of narrative composition. The introductions prefixed to the separate stories include a short biography of the particular story-teller, a bibliography of his representative works, a review of his special literary qualities, and a discussion of the circumstances attending the composition selected, together with the points which aid in its interpretation. Sundry notes at the end of the volume helpfully explain certain difficulties of the text; these notes would have been more directly helpful, however, had they been printed at the bottom of the pages. - The Outlook.

611. Find in some newspaper or magazine a brief review which seems to give a reasonably correct impression of the contents of a book. Compare this review with the one given above. Point out resemblances and differences.

612. Give directions for the preparation of a book review. 618. Write a brief review of some book with which you are familiar. If you choose a story, and expect to get other people to read it, tell them just enough of the plot to arouse their interest.