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Title: The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by John Gardner ISBN: 0-679-73403-1 Publisher: Vintage Books USA Pub. Date: 01 June, 1991 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.83 (42 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: beware ...
Comment: If you aren't well-versed in the Canon of Great Literature, then most all of the author's references -- and perhaps a good deal of what he has to say -- will be lost on you. There are a number of good, clearly stated ideas in this book, but after wading through three quarters of it, I have to say that there must be a better way. To wit, probably better than half of them can be had by reading the previous reviews and any one of a number of internet pages that address the common mistakes of beginning writers. If my knowledge of literature was as complete as Gardner assumes his readers' to be, I wouldn't need to read a book about writing ... Perhaps that's a good bit of Gardner's point, but I paid money for a book about how to write, not for a reading list. I'll be moving on to Burroway's "Writing Fiction" before I subject myself to the remainder of this snobbish morass. Esthetes only; mortals beware.
Rating: 4
Summary: Still relevant for writers today
Comment: I recently re-read this classic book on writing fiction, and found it as relevant today as it was when it was first published. Because Gardner strives for "higher art", his musings and instructions for the beginner go much deeper than ordinary how-to books. His lengthy chapter titled "Interest and Truth" gets to the heart of what fiction needs to be, whether one is writing literary fiction or a crime novel. His "Common Errors" chapter, although relatively short and sounding as basic as one can get, offers some of the best advice on how to improve one's writing, from suggestions to creating dynamic sentences to how to imbue narrative with emotion. "Technique" covers topics such as paying attention to rhythm and word choice and building narrative suspense. Although I yawned during the chapter on plot - Gardner's diagrams and attempts at describing structure were too mechanical for my tastes, I'm sure some readers will read it voraciously. Likewise, his thorough compilation of writing exercises will have some reaching eagerly for their keyboards. I found that the sections that had interested me on my first reading years ago were not the same ones that intrigued me this time, suggesting that this book can grow with the writer.
The biggest flaw in this book, and one which might drive some readers away, is Gardner's personal biases. His intense interest in myth and classics drove his fiction, and it weighs heavily in the examples he provides. Also, he favors examples from his contemporaries - Barthleme, Coover, Barth - who might not interest younger writers who read a different set of cutting edge authors. Still, you need not be familiar with Gardner's examples to understand his points, as he himself makes few assumptions about the reader/student.
Even professional writers can benefit from Gardner's reminders since a revisiting of ideas can only sharpen one's fiction. Aspiring writers will leave these pages with an eagerness to attack their own work and with a set of wise guidelines to help them achieve their best work.
Rating: 1
Summary: old-fashioned elitist boredom
Comment: This is a fairly helpful book for those born before the '70s-- a time when "a yarn" wasn't an archaic term. Does it give some helpful hints? Sure, there's the obvious ones like show don't tell and all characters have free will. But fiction has changed a lot since Henry James (thankfully), and this book might be better left unread. Plus, I don't buy the "only people who aren't well-read don't like it" argument. I've read nearly all the books mentioned and I still wish I never bought this book.
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Title: On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner, Raymond Carver ISBN: 0393320030 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: 01 October, 1999 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Aspects of the Novel by E. M. Forster ISBN: 0156091801 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 1956 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande ISBN: 0874771641 Publisher: Jeremy P. Tarcher Pub. Date: 01 March, 1981 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: Writing Fiction (6th Edition) by Janet Burroway, Susan Weinberg ISBN: 0321117956 Publisher: Longman Publishing Group Pub. Date: 10 July, 2002 List Price(USD): $58.00 |
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Title: On Moral Fiction (Basic Books Classics) by John Gardner, John C. Gardner ISBN: 0465052266 Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 01 September, 1979 List Price(USD): $18.50 |
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