Choose a book or series of books published before 2000 that’s been important to you, and describe its life history. Start with its origins – author(s), publisher, place, date, and initial physical format – and then track its development. Is it still in print? How many editions are there? How many different formats? Any illustrations or other image elements? Has it been translated (when and by whom)? Has it been adapted into other media?

How did you first encounter the book? What shape did it take? What does it mean to you?

Look for 2-4 reviews from different time periods – what have reviewers at different times thought about it? (Goodreads can be one modern source.) Has anything stayed constant? What are the differences in their responses, and why do you think there are?

What were some major historical and cultural forces when the book was first published? Are any of these forces still important? What’s changed? How does that change our reading of the book? Are there any cultural factors today that keep the book relevant?

This essay is more descriptive than argumentative, but your basic thesis should explain why it’s interesting or important to understand the history of this particular book/series.