Synopsis or summary?

[kandrathe]

Hail all!

I am in need of help. I've googled my ass off, and I'm still confused.

My question: What is the difference between a summary and a synopsis.

My initial thought was that a summary is a condensed version of the plot in a movie or book, and that a synopsis was a short 'presentation' of what the book/movie is about; the kind of blurb you find on the back of a book or a dvd case.

I gave my students an assignment where one of the tasks was to write a film review for a movie. A few students summarised the entire movie when all I wanted was a brief "synopsis". Obviously, if you want people to watch a movie, you don't spoil the ending. They did.

In a film analysis, on the other hand a "summary" is needed.

When writing my feedback to the students who spoiled the ending of the movie, I researched the word "synopsis" only to find some very different ideas about what this word actually means.

Does anyone here know the difference between the two words? The stuff on the back of a book; is that a synopsis or a summary? Is it neither?

Thanks!

To add to what has already been said...

Some additional intention can be ferreted out by researching the roots in their original language. Syn-Opsis is a Greek contraction of Syn meaning “with, in company with, together with", and Opsis meaning view.

Whereas "summary" is 1400–50; late Middle English from the Latin summārium, equivalent to summ ( a ) sum + -ārium -ary

From Latin -- summa is "the sum of" and arius is a suffix making the root word into an adjective (e.g. run + ing = running).

From this then - I'd say the difference is that "Synopsis" seems to imply opinion, whereas summary would be more opinion neutral (or optional).