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How to Write Critical Essays
This invaluable book offers the student of literature detailed advice on the entire process of critical essay writing, from first facing the question right through to producing a fair copy for final submission to the teacher.
- GenresWriting
140 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 6, 2025
How to Write Critical Essays is a by David B. Pirie. The book aims to encourage readers to think about their writing more critically. The book gives people a bit of a walk through on how to consider the question of an essay, as well as how to write it.
I originally saw this book second hand on AbeBooks and decided to give it a try. Because I feel like I need to improve my writing immensely, and to give my writing a bit more critical thinking. Though… Personally, I feel like this book didn’t help me as much as I was hoping. I gave it a try, but the book was just not for me.
I appreciate the way the author talks about how people have perspectives when reading works; one person's perspective will differ from that of another person. I think many readers will appreciate that the author gave a variety of considerations to how different people may have different viewpoints. I also found it good that the author talks about the different words that might appear in an essay question, and meanings of those words. As well as how a person asking us to write the essay may expect us to respond to such questions. There are bits in the book about planning what you're going to say. The author asks you to consider what you're putting into paragraphs. And also asks what argument you are trying to make with your essay
Though, in many ways, I feel like a lot of the book just was not something I found helpful. For example, there are a multitude of references to popular media, such as Shakespeare plays and works by other authors. In chapter 1, the author is using these references to explain why people can see and/ or read these plays differently, because of perspective. However, as someone with very little knowledge of the plays referred to, I don't necessarily understand all the points the author is trying to convey. And it continues in a similar fashion throughout the rest of the book. There are many portions where paragraphs are chock full of references to authors and/or works. Yet, as someone who has not taken in the majority of these books or plays, I am kind of lost as to what the author is referencing. And a lot of such paragraphs don't always make a point of why they're mentioning such things. I feel like the author doesn’t add much context to a lot of the mentions, so it feels like they’re very irrelevant, in my opinion.
In some ways, it is a kind of outdated book. It was initially published in 1985, so I’m not really surprised much of it feels somewhat old. It certainly does still have value, and I’m sure a variety of people would still have a use for it. Though, there are a lot of modern-day aspects that the author was not able to account for in that time period, because such things came later. Such as the popularity of the internet. While it did exist in basic forms back in 1985, it was certainly not very popular in homes and was still being developed. So, the book doesn’t take the reader through any kind of talk on how to research via the internet; such as webpages or online news articles. Honestly, I feel like the author doesn’t give enough guidance on research in general. Also, the author talks mostly about written works; how to respond to essay questions about books. The author doesn't really consider or offer how to write such an essay on non-books. Such as if someone (teacher, etc) were to ask me to write an essay on frog habitats (as a random example), it feels like the author didn’t set me up well on how to respond to something like that. If it were a specific book on the topic, yes, sure. But I feel like the author has created a limited environment in their guidance for just books and not broader topics.
Overall, it's not the type of book that everyone will enjoy. Ultimately, it feels lacking for me. It’s not much of a guide or tutorial on how to write an essay. But it does encourage you to be more critical of how you write one and to be careful of how you engage with the question, subject and how to edit down your writing. I wish the author had featured less references to media. I think the author ought to have spent more time guiding the reader. Or it would have been nice if they had been much clearer and included more context to why he was including such excerpts, and the context of what these references were about. But that’s just my opinion. While I didn’t find it good for me, you might find it more useful than I did.
I originally saw this book second hand on AbeBooks and decided to give it a try. Because I feel like I need to improve my writing immensely, and to give my writing a bit more critical thinking. Though… Personally, I feel like this book didn’t help me as much as I was hoping. I gave it a try, but the book was just not for me.
I appreciate the way the author talks about how people have perspectives when reading works; one person's perspective will differ from that of another person. I think many readers will appreciate that the author gave a variety of considerations to how different people may have different viewpoints. I also found it good that the author talks about the different words that might appear in an essay question, and meanings of those words. As well as how a person asking us to write the essay may expect us to respond to such questions. There are bits in the book about planning what you're going to say. The author asks you to consider what you're putting into paragraphs. And also asks what argument you are trying to make with your essay
Though, in many ways, I feel like a lot of the book just was not something I found helpful. For example, there are a multitude of references to popular media, such as Shakespeare plays and works by other authors. In chapter 1, the author is using these references to explain why people can see and/ or read these plays differently, because of perspective. However, as someone with very little knowledge of the plays referred to, I don't necessarily understand all the points the author is trying to convey. And it continues in a similar fashion throughout the rest of the book. There are many portions where paragraphs are chock full of references to authors and/or works. Yet, as someone who has not taken in the majority of these books or plays, I am kind of lost as to what the author is referencing. And a lot of such paragraphs don't always make a point of why they're mentioning such things. I feel like the author doesn’t add much context to a lot of the mentions, so it feels like they’re very irrelevant, in my opinion.
In some ways, it is a kind of outdated book. It was initially published in 1985, so I’m not really surprised much of it feels somewhat old. It certainly does still have value, and I’m sure a variety of people would still have a use for it. Though, there are a lot of modern-day aspects that the author was not able to account for in that time period, because such things came later. Such as the popularity of the internet. While it did exist in basic forms back in 1985, it was certainly not very popular in homes and was still being developed. So, the book doesn’t take the reader through any kind of talk on how to research via the internet; such as webpages or online news articles. Honestly, I feel like the author doesn’t give enough guidance on research in general. Also, the author talks mostly about written works; how to respond to essay questions about books. The author doesn't really consider or offer how to write such an essay on non-books. Such as if someone (teacher, etc) were to ask me to write an essay on frog habitats (as a random example), it feels like the author didn’t set me up well on how to respond to something like that. If it were a specific book on the topic, yes, sure. But I feel like the author has created a limited environment in their guidance for just books and not broader topics.
Overall, it's not the type of book that everyone will enjoy. Ultimately, it feels lacking for me. It’s not much of a guide or tutorial on how to write an essay. But it does encourage you to be more critical of how you write one and to be careful of how you engage with the question, subject and how to edit down your writing. I wish the author had featured less references to media. I think the author ought to have spent more time guiding the reader. Or it would have been nice if they had been much clearer and included more context to why he was including such excerpts, and the context of what these references were about. But that’s just my opinion. While I didn’t find it good for me, you might find it more useful than I did.
June 3, 2013
Your teacher hands you back your assignment...
What a piece of crap! Did you write this? No period at the end of your sentence! You mis-spelled (spelt) a word! What do you mean by that or this? Where did you get your facts?
Sound familiar?
How to Write Critical Essays
A Guide for Students of Literature
by David B. Pirie
Let's start from the beginning. You've just read Mark Twain's Book. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
Your teacher has given you the task of writing a critical essay on it!
This is what you do!
Read this book first. How to Write Critical Essays
Then read Huckleberry Finn...
I got my copy at the library.
This book tells you what to say, why you want to say it and how to say it, without offending anyone.
It could, with a little work on your part, make you sound like you know what you are talking about.
There's so much to know, about writing a critical essay.
Answer the exact question asked. Nothing more. Decifer the question and make sure you understand it.
Research the topic. Don't jump in blindly, thinking you know it all.
Examine how you are going to approach the subject. The meaning of the text.
Keep your dictionary handy. (of course criticizing The Little Train That Could to one of Shakespeare's offerings will need different reference books. Depending on your reading ability. You might read Macbeth slower. You may skim; The Little Train That Could but you must read before criticizing.)
Take notes, you can't remember everything.
Discussing with colleagues.
Plan how,what,why,you want to say. Don't babble. Be direct. Don't generalize or plagiarize. No fluffing. Where are you going with this?
How to write it so anyone can understand.
Laying out your case, taking a stand.
Quoting and misquoting.
Style. What tense? Write in the now!
Make it interesting. Don't put your readers to sleep.
Drafting, to copy. First page to end. Comments.
Bibliography. Make lists. Give credit due when merited, then back it up, cross reference.
Don't forget to leave a space for your teachers comments.
A Big Space
I enjoyed reading this book, and got a lot of information from it.
I give it five stars and two thumbs up!
Should be on every book reviewers bookshelf.
Michael Estey
What a piece of crap! Did you write this? No period at the end of your sentence! You mis-spelled (spelt) a word! What do you mean by that or this? Where did you get your facts?
Sound familiar?
How to Write Critical Essays
A Guide for Students of Literature
by David B. Pirie
Let's start from the beginning. You've just read Mark Twain's Book. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
Your teacher has given you the task of writing a critical essay on it!
This is what you do!
Read this book first. How to Write Critical Essays
Then read Huckleberry Finn...
I got my copy at the library.
This book tells you what to say, why you want to say it and how to say it, without offending anyone.
It could, with a little work on your part, make you sound like you know what you are talking about.
There's so much to know, about writing a critical essay.
Answer the exact question asked. Nothing more. Decifer the question and make sure you understand it.
Research the topic. Don't jump in blindly, thinking you know it all.
Examine how you are going to approach the subject. The meaning of the text.
Keep your dictionary handy. (of course criticizing The Little Train That Could to one of Shakespeare's offerings will need different reference books. Depending on your reading ability. You might read Macbeth slower. You may skim; The Little Train That Could but you must read before criticizing.)
Take notes, you can't remember everything.
Discussing with colleagues.
Plan how,what,why,you want to say. Don't babble. Be direct. Don't generalize or plagiarize. No fluffing. Where are you going with this?
How to write it so anyone can understand.
Laying out your case, taking a stand.
Quoting and misquoting.
Style. What tense? Write in the now!
Make it interesting. Don't put your readers to sleep.
Drafting, to copy. First page to end. Comments.
Bibliography. Make lists. Give credit due when merited, then back it up, cross reference.
Don't forget to leave a space for your teachers comments.
A Big Space
I enjoyed reading this book, and got a lot of information from it.
I give it five stars and two thumbs up!
Should be on every book reviewers bookshelf.
Michael Estey
September 20, 2013
very useful book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews