How to Prepare for the AP English Literature and Composition

This is a must have for any students taking the AP English exam. It can work as a companion to the actual course, or can help students who are independently preparing for the AP exam while taking a regular English course.

Just like with the Princeton Review, I have no idea why anyone would say that this is a horrible book. I would've loved to have had it when I was in high school, though I ended up getting a 4 anyway. I have taught AP for five years, and this is VERY comprehensive. My favorite part about it is that it has something for everyone. There are sample tests if you'd like to take them, as well as a lengthy list of terms and capsule reviews of many great works of literature. You should buy this book. I made a four-page review guide for my class that will definitely translate into higher scores. When the worst you can say about something is that it has "too much information," it's obviously not very flawed. After all, it's not intended to be read in an hour by a high school student with a short attention span.

Barron's AP English has saved my life from many difficult essay tests in my AP English class. Analysis in this book is very well written and very helpful. It advises me of different approach to write a good essay on any specific literature...just find the literature you want to write about from the back of the book. This book discusses summary, ideas and structure of various literature ranging from Oedipus REX by Sophecles to Hamlet by William Shakespeare. If you want to ace the AP english exam, you must get this book!

If there's one thing that this book has taught me to do, it's how to really deconstruct. I used to have absolutely no idea what to write when an essay asked me to analyze rhetorical devices. I would be like, uh, yeah, the author is trying to say this, but I could never understand the techniques that the author uses to get things across. This book has really helped me to do that. Even though it's a pretty short section, it opened my eyes up to possible things to discuss. For example, the length of sentences say a lot. The author may have many long, convoluted sentences, but then one sort, terse, to the point sentence. This sentence is what the author really wants to drive home and is used to create mood or the atmosphere. I have only really looked at the first section because I took the AP English Language test and the first section is dedicated to that test. I, however, am looking forward to using this book again next near when I take the Literature test. There is only one flaw with this book, however, and that's the sample tests. I appreciate that they're harder than the actual thing, which is how most Barron's books are, but I also feel that they don't give you an accurate feel of the way things are and they're not good for pacing yourself. If you want sample tests, try the Cliffs, but for writing pointers, defintely take a look at this book. I'm sure that it's at least part of the reason for my five on the Language exam.

This book is great because it presents you with a detailed overview of the ap english test. The samples are harder than the actual test, which is good because then you are extremely well prepared for the test. The book provides really good explanations and advice.