Q&A for How to Write a Book Summary

The best thing you can do is try explaining the book to yourself when you're done. So jot down a few thoughts about the main idea and plot. This will give you a sense for where you want the summary to go as you're writing it. As far as starting your summary, you probably want to explain the author, setting, main character, and opening plot points. Just give your reader everything they need to follow along while you summarize the rest of the book.

In order to start your book summary, I would gather all of your notes together in an organized setting. As you construct your introduction, be sure to include the author's name and the title of the work, and it's important to address the author's main theme or point/message (i.e. what is the point of the book?).

Try to make it a little more interesting. You should cover the basic facts of what happened in the book, but you should also write a little about what you think the author was trying to say, what kind of themes and symbols he/she used, how the characters were developed, etc.

Make sure that you are not repeating yourself and only choose the most important details from the book.

You can start the summary with the author's name and the title of the book. For example, "Suzanne Collins' 'Hunger Games' is about..."

Usually you can find a short book summary on Amazon on the page of the specific book, or Wikipedia will also give a summary of books if you search for them.

Usually the top right corner of the page. If you're using a device (not paper), you would have to use the right-align tool to help you.

Instead of trying to write a chapter-by-chapter summary, break the book down into major sections. Summarize these sections by explaining their relationship to the overall purpose of the book. Don't get caught up in trying to cover every detail (or chapter) of the book.

Figure out what you think the author is trying to say. Is there a major theme in the book, or a moral or message of some kind? Use this to craft your thesis.

It's tough to make a summary interesting! Be sure to include sentences covering what you felt was interesting about the book itself. Beyond that, try not to worry too much about making the summary interesting, as that's not the main point of these pieces.

The end of a summary, like the end of many papers, is often a restatement of the introduction. If you have written about three or four key points in the introduction, and in the body of the summary, mention those key points again, just a little differently.

If it's important enough to the story, yes, but if it isn't that important, it's not necessary.

Summaries don't generally include evidence and analysis. If your teacher wants you to do these things, you're probably writing a book report. This kind of assignment asks you to go deeper than summary by making your own argument about the book, using quotations and examples to prove that argument.

The same way, as there is not much of a difference between the two.

It really depends on what you want, if it's for an assignment then you should ask your teacher how long. I recommend 30 sentences at least and around 70 at most unless it's only a paragraph.

Writing down the main points you want to cover helps. Start with this. Then add a bit of information about each of those themes. Keep this succinct, as to not get bogged down in minor details. Once you organize your information about the book, lay it out and think about the book and how you want to cover it, objectively of course. Also, don't think about it too much. I tend to do this, and it makes it stressful. Summarizing a book is quite doable once you get the hang of it. Afterwards, read your piece. I would be thinking: "Does this explain the major parts of the book?", "Is it chronological?", "Do I focus in any areas exceptionally long?", and "Is it objective?".

The same idea for a fiction book summary applies to nonfiction. Perhaps there aren't main characters; you can just omit these. Was there still progression? What was the subject on? For example, I remember reading the biography of Steve Jobs. If I were to write a summary on this book, I would just tell the main points of it. First this, then that. Non-fiction books still tend to have progression and pace, and you can use this to your advantage when laying out your piece of writing.

Think about what the book is about. Why did the author write it? Why did what happened in the book happen? Think about the progression of the plot and/or characters. What happened to them, and why? Are there any problems that the characters have to solve, and if so, how do they overcome these obstacles? The ten most common themes in literature are: Judgement, Survival, Peace & War, Love, Heroism, Good vs. Evil, Circle of Life, Suffering, Deception, and Coming of Age.

It shouldn't be flashy. That is not the point of a summary. You are to provide a reader with a quick and easily digestible passage about what the book is about: the main characters, title, author, main plot points, theme; all the while you are to not include your personal opinions or thoughts as this removes the objectivity from the piece. People are not reading a summary for your opinion, but rather to understand the book (possibly they may want to read it, or just understand it better after having read it). So therefore, I think you shouldn't include a flashy title. For example: Summary of "The Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum; or include Book before summary. Something along those lines.

Read the assigned text straight through without taking notes. This first reading gives a general idea about the entire text. Note any biographical information about the author in the preface or after the conclusion. Knowing the biography of the philosopher, including other titles written, might help put this work in context.

In order to make a summary longer, you can add more details. But, when adding details, make sure that they are important/major details that contributed to the storyline.