6W1H Method of Effective Book Reviews Preparation

I wonder whether there are some methods or steps one could follow in writing book reviews, or whether book bloggers have their own routines. How about you, what is your method? Do you just open a blank page, and write anything your mind dictating you, letting the idea flows on its own?

I usually practice the later. However, lately I noticed that this idea actually has few disadvantages: 

1. One needs to be very focused for a stretch of time (which is difficult for me - I write only when time permit).

2. There are too many things to memorize: names, events, or even the plot - especially when one does not write the review right after finishing the book (in my case: always! :)) At times, I write a review months after reading; but mostly after 1-2 weeks).

So, lately I invented a certain method which enables me to write reviews without much difficulties, which I call: 6W1H. You might have been familiar with 5W1H; I borrowed that idea, but adding one more W. This 6W1H is only the preparation process; it helps me a lot while writing the actual reviews.

I divide the 6W1H process into two phases: Background and Analysis. And for the source, I usually use Wikipedia. Why not the book itself? Remember, I have finished the book some times before, and have been plunging into one or more books since, so at the time I'm ready to write the review, I only have limited memory of the book's contents. Hence, Wikipedia provides a good summary of the plot, list of characters, and stuffs. I still consult the book, though, when I need to pick some quotes (which I have dog-eared and marked before).

And so, here is the outline of my 6W1H preparation for review writing process:

Background

WHO
- Complete name of main characters whom I would discuss in the review.
- Their relationships (son of A, B's best friend, etc).

No one like the idea of rummaging through the book again in the middle of writing review, just to make sure whether X is the eldest or second son of Lord Y, right?

WHAT
- Title/rank/occupation (Duke of ..., a farmer, a mother, etc.)
- Age/appearances (30 y.o., a young man, pretty girl, etc.)
- Personality (reckless, prudish, cunning, etc.)
- Condition/weakness (wealthy, divorced, drunkard, etc.)

WHERE
- Name of the country/village/city
- Name of the street/house/mansion, etc.

WHEN
- Timeline of the story
- Real historical year/event
- Period of time (15 years after..., two days before...)

WHAT HAPPENED
The events/incidents:
- Chronology
- Perpretator/person(s) involved

Analysis

WHY
- The major conflict
- Why it happened? Why did he do that? What makes her do that?

HOW
- How did he solve the problem?
- How could she strive?
- What lesson we learn from it?

How it works

1. First I'd jot down on a notebook (journal), complete name of main characters involved in the story. Give some spaces between each character, about 4 or 5 rows (depend on your journal's size).

2. In the top right corner, add this list in small fonts:
*WHO
*WHAT
*WHERE
*WHEN
*WHAT HAPPENED

- Then add in the blank spaces, some description about each character which you think the most important/related to the whole story (consult Wikipedia if you forget some details).

- Check whether the descriptions you have added for each character has covered all the 5W list. You may check or cross out the Ws when you're sure it's done. If there's a W you haven't included in the description, think if there's something you've missed. If not, just skip it, maybe it's not important. Or you can add later if it turns out to be so.

- Next, I'd work on the 6th W and the H. Do this under the character description section you've made before (the five Ws). Now, this is the harder part of 6W1H, and you need to think more critically (Wikipedia won't be able to help you on this :P).

WHY
To create a thorough review, I usually pick one topic which has struck me most or the most relevant for me, or most interested me during/after the reading. This topic can be varied for each reader, though you read the same book. But this is something that will make your review most stand out.

You might ask: What if I don't remember any strong point of the book? Well, there are 2 possibilities:
a). For some reasons you didn't relate to the book - maybe you don't like it?
b). You were distracted during the reading, to not noticing any strong point.

In either case, you might skip the WHY and HOW, and just write what you feel about the book (writing style, cover, characters, etc.) Or you might want to give the book another try, then apply the WHY and HOW properly to your second review.

But if you do find your topic, ask yourself, what is the root or cause of the conflict/problem/condition.

You find two equally important topics, and really want to discuss both? No problem, just work on two sets of WHY and HOW, then give them each subtitles. If you don't mind writing long reviews, that will be okay. I have practiced this on my review of The Sin of Abbé Mouret.

Have jotted down the root cause of your chosen topic? Let's move to the H:

HOW
Analyze some (or all) of these questions:
1. How does [the character] solve the conflict/problem?
2. How does [the character] strive from his/her condition?
3. What makes him/her triumphant in the end?
4. What should have he/she done (if failed)?
5. What did the writer try to convey?
6. Do I agree?
7. What lessons do I learn?
8. Does it happen to me? What have/will I do(ne) if I were in his/her place?

When you have worked all the 6W1H, your head will be full of ideas, you can't wait to write the review. And you will be surprised at how easy it is to write review now, as the words flow nicely. It's because you have boiled them with the 6W1H to shape your ideas, ready to be jotted down into a beautiful review!

See, writing review isn't that difficult, right? Or do you always find it easy? Do you have your own routines to write reviews? Do share! I am always excited to learn new things!

Classic Character: The Transformation of Godfrey Cass from Silas Marner

Godfrey is my favorite character from Silas Marner, and the most interesting one. Of course he isn't the ideal hero, but I loved following his transformation from a careless, egocentric young man to be a more mature, generous man.

Born into a rich family and having been spoiled by his father, Godfrey grew up as a reckless, irresponsible young man. All his needs was provided by the servants, no effort was required from little Godfrey. And whenever he wants something, all he need to do is asking his papa, and he will (happily) grant it. He grows up knowing that his part in this world is just wishing, and it's everyone else's job to fulfill. It's all about "me", and never "you"; least of all "he/she", because he has the privilege. It's not his original character - we will learn this later - but it's the way he was raised. Though he might have had moral education from his governess or private teacher, I think emphaty is not something he is familiar with. Why, taking feels much better than giving, anyway!

I imagined Molly is one of the pretties working girls in Raveloe, and young Godfrey is attracted to her. He marries her (clever of you, Molly, at least you've got him legally married you!), though he doesn't have plan to provide for her, least of all acknowledge her (I really wish Eliot wrote more about this!). Anyway, Godfrey doesn't even think it wrong to woo a middle class girl after abandoning Molly. He simply doesn't think his first marriage as marriage; for him it's just a pleasure, and now, an obstacle to his present wish: Nancy Lammeter, or just an annoying subject to get scolded by his dear papa. Godfrey's comfort and pleasure must come first!

Then, Molly's corpse is found, and Godfrey realizes for the first time, that his past reckless act DID have consequences: his own daughter Eppie. I think this revelation is his first turning point. How often is it that a man changes to the better after the birth of his child? So Godfrey, too, starts being responsible and a little more generous, by giving some money to Silas Marner (for Eppie's sake). Unfortunately he is still cowardly and indecisive enough to confess the truth to Nancy.

The revelation of Dunfrey's death shatters Godfrey's last door to self-denial. Without further doubt, he confesses everything to Nancy: first marriage, child, and all. Lastly, Eppie's rejection of living with him, shatters the last of the remnants of his ego. Godfrey is humbled by his daughter! After this last event, we do not know clearly how Godfrey's live has become, only that he contiunually provides for Eppie and Silas. He even pays for Eppie's wedding party, though he doesn't attend it. This is a big change in Godfrey's character. The selfish, egocentric young man has transformed into a selfless matured man, who still loves, cares, and provides for his daughter, despite of her rejection, despite of his realization that Eppie would never be his. We know that at the end of the story, Silas, Eppie, and her husband Aaron live a happy life. I wish Godfrey too, find love, solace, and happiness with Nancy. He deserves it, because after all, he was born as a good natured person.

Silas Marner by George Eliot

Silas Marner is an old weaver in a rural village called Raveloe. He is a loner; isolated from the world, and eventually became a miser. He never goes to church, and dislike his neighbours, who also see him with suspicion. He loves only his craft, and the accumulated gold he earned by his loom.

Godfrey Cass is the eldest son of the landowner: Squire Cass. He is a good natured man, and lived respectably with his wife: the sweet Nancy Lammeter. The couple is childless, and Godfrey is tormented by guilt of his dark secret, that the couple isn't as happy as it should be.

Why did I open this post with two different stories? It's because Silas Marner - despite of its title - is a story of interwoven pasts of these two characters: Silas Marner and Godfrey Cass. They are both unhappy in the present situation, and both are caused by secret pasts. Let me tell them separately.

Silas was a religious, exemplary young man from Lantern Yard. He was framed by his brethren, and was accused of stealing church money. Nobody believed him, nor even Sarah, the girl he was engaged to marry, who finally married the man who has framed him! So, he left his hometown, bringing his loom, to be a weaver in Raveloe, where nobody knew him, and shut himself up from the world - and apparently from God (who is, so he feels, unfair to him).

Rich and spoiled by his father, Godfrey secretly married a working class opium-addicted girl, Molly, whom he then estranged. Dunfrey "Dunsey" Cass, his scoundrel second brother knew this, and blackmailed him. Using the Squire's money, Godfrey tried to shut his brother's mouth, lest he revealed his secret, and prevented him from marrying the sweet Nancy Lammeter.

One night Dunfrey robbed Silas' gold, taking away Silas' only consolation in life - without love and affection as he was. Then Molly - Godfrey's estranged wife - went to the Casses' with a two year old girl, in order to reveal herself and the child as Godfrey's. However, on that bitter cold winter night, she died on the way, leaving her child wandering through the snow to Silas' house. The aftermath of this incident: Godfrey could married Nancy without remorse, and Silas got a daughter to care for, replacing his beloved gold. Is this the happy ending they deserved? No, not yet. Eventhough life seems to be generous to Silas and Godfrey at this point, each has still an old grudge and dark secret, of which they have not yet make peace with.

George Eliot is one of the authors whom I have hitherto been expelled from my reading list. "What? Why??", I hear you ask. Well, I read The Mill on the Floss years ago, and didn't impressed by her writing, and disliked her characters. Years later, I feel I was being unfair to her. Victorian's has been my favorite reading, so why not try her other novels? And so, I picked Silas Marner - and I'm glad I did. Though Eliot is still not my favorite, I can now appreciate her more. I loved Silas Marner - it's a real comfort reading - though my favorite character is actually Godfrey Cass (I will discuss this more on the next post).

Silas Marner's main theme are about repentance, forgiveness, and making peace with one's past. Maybe you've been wondering why I've been writing Silas and Godfrey in parallel with each other? It's because I see their paths in life (in accordance to above themes) as very similar, albeit the huge difference in their social backgrounds. Let me break it down:

Problem
SILAS was wrongly accused
GODFREY had a scandalous marriage

Try to fix problem, but instead, getting deeper
SILAS relinquished God and humanity; worshiping gold --> lonely and meaningless life
GODFREY squandered his father's money to bribe Dunfrey, then having a marriage based on lie --> unhappy, burden.

Molly's death brings solution
SILAS finds early happiness in raising the orphaned Eppie.
GODFREY finds early happiness in marrying Nancy Lammeter.

But still not fully happy
SILAS still has a grudge against his fellow kinsman.
GODFREY still keeps a secret from Nancy

Revelation as turning point
Dunfrey's corpse and Silas' gold were found, and so:

True happiness after making peace with the past
SILAS realized that gold is meaningless; instead, love and forgiveness is more valuable. He returns to Lantern Yard, though found it vanished, and so closes the past, welcomes the happy future with Eppie and her husband.

GODFREY confesses to Nancy about Molly and Eppie, and so there's no more secret. Though perhaps not as happy as Silas, but I think they'll live contentedly after finding pure love for each other, and with their generosity to Silas and Eppie.

In the end, there is no intriguing plot in this book, but it is a sweet and comforting novel with warming allusions of love and repentance. After this, I think I'm excited to read all Eliot's remaining novels. Middlemarch will be my next!

4/5

Zoladdiction 2020 Master Post

Welcome, April! Hi guys, how u doing today? Still healthy but bored already from self-quarrantine/self-isolaton/social distancing or whatever limitation you are having at present? Prepare to cheer up, guys, because TODAY.....

Zoladdiction 2020 begins!

(More info and sign up here)

Since my internet connection is rather bad at home, I decided to not using linky for submitting posts. Instead, you can share them by (pick one or all):

1. Leaving URL to your posts on the comment section below.
2. Tweeting with hashtag: #Zoladdiction2020
3. Posting on Instagram with hashtag: #Zoladdiction2020.

As I am using Twitter as my main platform, I will do my best to retweet all of your posts, so that we can see, read, and comment each others posts. I will still occasionally post on and check my Instagram too.

To add the fun, I have prepared two Zoladdiction Games during April, but only on Twitter. The first one will be on Zola's birthday tomorrow. Be sure you check on Twitter - let's celebrate Zola's birthday by making it as jolly as we can (I will open this game to non participant as well), while spreading the love of Zola (NOT the covid-19) to the world.

Happy reading (and playing), and have fun! :)

Author Birthday [March]: Tobias Smollet

Some years ago I used to do monthly post of Author Birthday, picking 3 or 4 authors to be featured on the respective month. For some reasons, I stopped doing it, but now I had a craving to write other stuffs beyond book reviews. So, starting this month (hopefully) this new feature: #AuthorBirthday will appear in this blog every month.

I will highlight one author each month, mostly the ones I have not yet read. Part of the aim is to get familiar with the author and (hopefully) encourage me to start reading his/her work. For the first appearance, please welcome:

TOBIAS SMOLLETT

Tobias George Smollett is a Scottish poet, novelist, and surgeon. He was baptized on 19 March 1721. Smollett's father, a judge and landowner, died when he was just 5 years old. He was educated at University of Glasgow, and qualified as surgeon. As his real passion was always in literary career, he went to London in 1739 to become a dramatist, but unsuccessful.

So, when the British Navy opened a vacancy for naval surgeon, he went abroad HMS Chichester heading to Jamaica, then settled down there for several years.

In 1747 Smollett returned to England, married a wealthy Jamaican heiress: Anne "Nancy" Lascelles, and established a practice in Downing Street.

His first novel was The Adventures of Roderick Random in 1748 (published anonymously), of which he began to be famous with his satire and picaresque genre. Besides novels, Smollett was also notable for his translation of Cervante's Don Quixote in 1755, (part of) A Complete History of England in 1757-1765, and translation of The Works of Voltaire in 1761-1765. Some of his other works are The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle (1751), The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom (1753), and The Life and Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves (1760)

Smollett moved to Italy on 1768, but made a brief visit to Scotland in 1771, where he got inspiration for his last and most famous novel: The Expedition of Humphry Clinker.

Smollet has been suffering from intestinal disorder for several years, and when he didn't get proper treatment on Bath, he returned to Italy, and finally died near Livorno, in the same year of his last novel's publication.

Smollet has been struggling almost all his life with poverty. And after his death, he kept inspiring many authors, including Charles Dickens, who was one of Smollet's great admirers. Without Smollet's influence, we might never gets entertained by four comical gentlemen of The Pickwick Club! :)

How to Read Zola: A Personal Guide

One of the things I love the most from hosting Zoladdiction is to find new Zoladdicts (readers addicted to Zola's) - either people who have read Zola for some times, or those who read him for the first time. And from my eight years of hosting Zoladdiction, I have been observing that most of those who have read Zola, tend to love him and keep reading his books.

From year to year, people keep asking me almost the same question about how they should read Zola - especially his Les Rougon-Macquart cycle - or which book they should start with. Hence, you can regard this post as a sort of guidance - not from an expert, but just an enthusiastic reader. It's my personal view, and hopefully you will find it useful.

First of all, you need to know how many books Zola had written. The answer is... A LOT! He would be your perfect choice to start an "author challenge" (reading works of certain author) - you won't run out of good materials for years! :) Not only novels of many titles, Zola also wrote some short stories, essays, novella, plays, and in case you didn't know, he even wrote the controversial J'accuse! - an open letter to France President criticizing the unjust anti-semitic accuse of Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish French officer.

Now, back to the main question: Where should I start? There are several entry points which you can chose according to your need.

Start from the best

My common advice to start reading a new author is always starting from his/her masterpiece or most notable work. If it resonates with you, then it's very likely you would love his/her other works. In the case of Zola, it's: Germinal. It is a very thoroughly researched book - Zola took effort to go down into the mine pit and interviewed some workers, and you'd feel suffocated yourselves when reading it, as if you were there! It's so beautifully written with complex plot, and alternately emotionally touching and aggravating. It's also my favorite novel of all time!

The Rougon-Macquart cycle

Have you heard about this monumental project of Zola? There are two possible approaches to start your project:

Chronological order

The best way is starting from the beginning: The Fortune of the Rougons. It's the introduction to the two families (Rougons and Macquarts, plus Mourets) and historical background of the Second Empire of France. It lays the foundation and serves as navigation map to the following novels.

Random order

You have one or two Zolas on your TBR right now, and just want to read it? NO PROBLEM. The Rougon-Macquart's are standalone novels depicting different issues. You can easily pick one randomly according to your whim. In fact, I have started from L'Assommoir myself, then continued randomly through the cycle.

Short Stories Teaser

For some readers (including me), it's not easy to try a new author, especially one whom you're not sure you'll like. Start from his/her short stories! It serves as teaser, and you'd have nothing to lose. Zola wrote quite a lot of short stories, you'd love him after reading few of them, I guarantee! :) You can download/read online, or picking one of Zola's short stories collection.

Mildest Zola's

You might have heard/read about Zola's blunt honesty of writing? Well, in case your reading comfort has been Victorians, and you are a bit worried about raw Naturalism, you might start with Zola's mildest novel (also from The Rougon-Macquart cycle): The Ladies Paradise. At least it won't "blow your head" unexpectedly, and there's a bit... ehm... love story in it! :)

The Rawest

Maybe you are one of the minorities who are always eager to pick the most extreme choice? Then you'd thank me of ever picking The Earth. It's the rawest of all (I have read so far). Though the severity of the "blow" is only second after L'Assommoir, the brutal scenes are the most shocking.

Single Novel

Rather daunted to start The Rougon-Macquart, a cycle of twenty novels, and prefer, instead, a single standalone noncommittal novel? Therese Raquin would be perfect. It's one of Zola's most notable works, and one of my most memorable - it's my FIRST Zola! I remember being hooked from the beginning, and I think I finished it in just two days.

Non-Fiction

If you haven't been impressed so far, maybe you'd prefer his semi political semi humanitarian piece: J'Accuse! and other writings concerning the Dreyfus Affair. I loved especially Zola's last speech before his self-exile. Wait... you do know about Zola's self-exile to avoid jail, right? No? Then perhaps you need first to...

Know Zola from Biographies

This is my last attempt to convert you to be a Zoladdict! LOL.. just joking :D But sometimes, knowing an author - what he valued and how he viewed things - would lead you to love his/her books.

Now I assume you have made your mind of WHICH book to read next from Zola? Next you'd need to decide WHEN. Let me help you...

How about COMING APRIL?

It's Zola's birth month (2nd April is his birthday), and we will have a Zola reading event....

ZOLADDICTION 2020

If you haven't signed up yet, you can still do it at the Announcement post. Don't forget to let me know in the comment or tag me on Twitter/Instagram.

See you on April, then, and prepare to have FUN!

February Book Haul Amidst Importation Obstacles

Painting: Still Life with Books (1887) by Vincent van Gogh

Being classics reader in a country where literary readers are minority is not an easy business. I could not obtain classic books at a local bookstore - except translated works, whose quality is mostly dubitable, yet the price could be higher than original/English version. Nor could I borrow from "local library" - which is not numerous here, obviously.

So, the only choice is to buy/import from international online stores. My favorites are Book Depository (free International delivery!) and Better World Books for second hand books (also free International delivery). Of course, patience is required here, because shipment to Indonesia can vary from 2-3 weeks (their claim) to more than two months! They use standard airmail services, which is understandable for free-delivery. I sometimes forget what books I have ordered in the last months, so when the postman comes with my package, it feels like getting a surprised (though very late) birthday gift! LOL..

Another cheaper and much faster option is Google Play Books. I'm no enthusiast fan of e-books, though, so I pick this option only when:

1. Not sure I'd like the book/author.
2. The paperback is much too expensive for "disposable books" (won't read more than once - mostly popular books.)
3. The physical book is rare or with fantastic price.

There are also some free websites where you can download classics e-books - the biggest one is Gutenberg Project - but I'm not so keen about free e-books. I know it's legal, but owning it without spending money makes me appreciate it less; it feels a bit inappropriate - I don't know it it's normal, but that's what I feel. Sometimes I also find some rare classics at local online second-hand bookstores, but I depend most of my routine book supplies to imported books. Waiting for one or four months makes no different to me, I'm never running out of supplies, as long as it eventually do arrive :)

However, early this year, our government brought a shattering news to Indonesian imported books lovers. The de minimis value threshold was changed from $75 to $3. Three Dollars! Can you believe it? It means we must say goodbye to duty free books forever (at least until the rule changed) - for are there many books price less than $3?

From my calculation, the duty for most items - including books - amounting >$3 to $1500 should be 17,5%. Maybe it seems like nothing for some people, but for me it is very disappointing. I don't buy books whenever I like it; I have certain budget to be spent for books every month. With 17,5% increase, I must cut off the number of books I buy, or I can only shop when Book Depository offers discount vouchers (which is only once every some months). Or I can shop from Better World Books' bargain bin (they offer 20% discount for 4+ books), but I have to reduce my shopping to only once every two months. It seemed okay for a while, until I heard another news: we can only import items in brand NEW condition. And there are some cases where second hand customer goods (not book) were rejected during customs clearance. This has raised a second alarm to my book shopping routine that I haven't bought any books last month.

Fast forward to end of February, when I expect to receive my latest order from Book Depository (bargain bin) and Better World Books (also from bargain bin) on January. I have prepared (grudgingly) to pay the duty. However, first package arrived from Book Depository, and the postman just gave me my package and went away. Wow... no duty! That was surprising, though I didn't understand how it's possible. But I still feel uneased about my other order from Better World Books, will it finally arrive? Or have I paid for nothing? And then.. the postman came, bringing all my five second hand books, still without charging anything! Yippee!!

Though still don't quite understand how that happened - is it post office's carelessness or government's leniency to bookworms? - I think there is still light at the end of the tunnel, at least for now. I have ordered again from Book Depository, using their 10% discount voucher, and let's see how it will be. Boy... do I wish there's library here who often opens its garage-sale of classics collection! But you gotta accept what life gives you, right? And right now, I'm quite happy with my present classics supplies!

How about you? Do you ever have problem with book supplies?