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emilymorgan02's review against another edition
3.0
I've been reading this book, a chapter at a time, for quite a while. It was due back at the library, so I finally dug into the last few chapters and finished it up this morning. I feel like the title is a bit deceiving. I didn't feel like I got a "master class" in writing. I feel like I got a series of essays about writers and one man's personal experiences or the experiences he's gathered from others. It was bad...it just wasn't what it said it would be. The English major in me enjoyed the essays and commentary, but I felt like all the authors he mentioned and analyzed were not very diverse and were generally white American males who were writing at a certain time. Not that there isn't a lot to consider and applaud these authors for...I enjoyed studying them in college...but there are so many others who could have been included in the story.
xinetr's review against another edition
3.0
Despite the chapter on reviews, perhaps designed to discourage reviewing, I will share some thoughts about this book. Overall, it encourages anyone to write though some of the reasons that serve as chapter titles are more small-minded than others (or than I would choose). I did wonder if the subtitle was the publisher's idea (although it's so academic to have the obligatory colon: subtitle), because it reminded me more of the trend in clickbait titles that never really live up to the promise--it didn't seem like a Master Class on the Art of Writing. Aside from Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf, not many women writers were mentioned or given much time or seen as funny, etc, the way white male English-writing authors were. It was kind of fun to realize he might have gone to Tufts with his discussion of "azul azul" learned in the Hillside section of Medford; Ronna Johnson could learn a thing or two about Melville from this book. Oh wait, is that my own [small-minded] wish for "revenge" creeping in, wink wink? Anyway, the book gets better as it goes on. I'm self-conscious again of reviewing it--and the chapter does consider the idea of saving one's time/money, reminding me of the only two movies I'd ever seen and been appalled at having wasted the time/money (one with good reviews), so I should say simply, though parts of the middle were rather sleep-inducing, in the end it was a plus to have read this book.
s_books's review against another edition
3.5
*I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways*
This is a 3.5 star book.
"In general there are no great reviews and there are no great reviewers...Too many reviews are studies in resentment. They condense the rancor of the reviewer who cannot write and calm the envy of those who wish to write and cannot." Well then, this review must be taken with a grain of salt (or two, or three). I am not a writer nor do I wish to write but, rather like the friend of the author mentioned in an early chapter, I do at times wish "to have written".
The "To Get Even" chapter is not as good as some of the others but that may reflect the author's feeling towards the topic: after all, even if revenge is the driving force for some writers, they would probably be somewhat reticent to admit to such a base motivation, as Edmundson himself appears reticent. Most of the other chapters are better although the reader can be excused for feeling that he or she is not really a real reader since Edmundson, like most of those who write about writing or reading or "letters" will happily name drop writers left and write, though--thankfully--not to the level of superfluity that some do. However, the "To Read as a Writer" chapter is wonderful, though that may be more because, having loved reading since I was young myself, I fully connect with Edmundson when he talks about the joys of early reading. There was such appreciativeness of and clear love for reading in that chapter that now I want to read Edmundson's other book, [b:Why Read?|821834|Why Read?|Mark Edmundson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1316638283s/821834.jpg|807655]. (And this despite the fact that Edmundson loses some major points in my book by calling [b:Sense and Sensibility|14935|Sense and Sensibility|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1397245675s/14935.jpg|2809709] "not quite readable...though almost". I know lots of readers prefer [b:Emma|6969|Emma|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1373627931s/6969.jpg|3360164] over Sense and Sensibility and I have long since accepted that they and I will have to agree to disagree but [b:Mansfield Park|45032|Mansfield Park|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1397063295s/45032.jpg|2722329]?! Over Sense and Sensibility? "Not quite readable"?! Compared to Mansfield Park? Don't get me wrong, I like Mansfield Park just fine and think it's better than [b:Persuasion|2156|Persuasion|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1385172413s/2156.jpg|2534720] and most definitely better than [b:Northanger Abbey|50398|Northanger Abbey|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388201718s/50398.jpg|4039699] but there's no way I would rate it over Sense and Sensibility. The fact that Edmundson does so makes me wonder if he has "not quite" taken leave of his senses.)
It should be noted that the subtitle of this book is a bit deceptive; this is not really "A Master Class on the Art of Writing", that is, this book will not tell you how to write, it simply (and only) talks about why to write, or rather, why (some) people do write. It may be a good book if you are a writer who has perhaps hit writer's block and you're thinking to yourself "Why am I putting myself through this torture again?" Or, if like me, you have or have had grand notions of "having written" but without ever putting pen to paper (or in this day and age, fingers to keyboard) and no sign or clear notion that you ever will. It's a good look into the motivations behind writing but that by itself is not enough to make you a writer. It's a bit like reading books-about-books or adding every book that's ever been recommended, directly or indirectly, to your to-read list or deciding to follow a famous booklist such as [b:The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classic Guide to World Literature, Revised and Expanded|249186|The New Lifetime Reading Plan The Classic Guide to World Literature, Revised and Expanded|Clifton Fadiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388614382s/249186.jpg|241449] or [b:Great Books of the Western World|664451|Great Books of the Western World|Mortimer J. Adler|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348329250s/664451.jpg|650511] -- the intention may be there and you may feel a bit better about yourself afterwards but you've not actually made any progress towards the end goal whatsoever.
This is a 3.5 star book.
"In general there are no great reviews and there are no great reviewers...Too many reviews are studies in resentment. They condense the rancor of the reviewer who cannot write and calm the envy of those who wish to write and cannot." Well then, this review must be taken with a grain of salt (or two, or three). I am not a writer nor do I wish to write but, rather like the friend of the author mentioned in an early chapter, I do at times wish "to have written".
The "To Get Even" chapter is not as good as some of the others but that may reflect the author's feeling towards the topic: after all, even if revenge is the driving force for some writers, they would probably be somewhat reticent to admit to such a base motivation, as Edmundson himself appears reticent. Most of the other chapters are better although the reader can be excused for feeling that he or she is not really a real reader since Edmundson, like most of those who write about writing or reading or "letters" will happily name drop writers left and write, though--thankfully--not to the level of superfluity that some do. However, the "To Read as a Writer" chapter is wonderful, though that may be more because, having loved reading since I was young myself, I fully connect with Edmundson when he talks about the joys of early reading. There was such appreciativeness of and clear love for reading in that chapter that now I want to read Edmundson's other book, [b:Why Read?|821834|Why Read?|Mark Edmundson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1316638283s/821834.jpg|807655]. (And this despite the fact that Edmundson loses some major points in my book by calling [b:Sense and Sensibility|14935|Sense and Sensibility|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1397245675s/14935.jpg|2809709] "not quite readable...though almost". I know lots of readers prefer [b:Emma|6969|Emma|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1373627931s/6969.jpg|3360164] over Sense and Sensibility and I have long since accepted that they and I will have to agree to disagree but [b:Mansfield Park|45032|Mansfield Park|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1397063295s/45032.jpg|2722329]?! Over Sense and Sensibility? "Not quite readable"?! Compared to Mansfield Park? Don't get me wrong, I like Mansfield Park just fine and think it's better than [b:Persuasion|2156|Persuasion|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1385172413s/2156.jpg|2534720] and most definitely better than [b:Northanger Abbey|50398|Northanger Abbey|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388201718s/50398.jpg|4039699] but there's no way I would rate it over Sense and Sensibility. The fact that Edmundson does so makes me wonder if he has "not quite" taken leave of his senses.)
It should be noted that the subtitle of this book is a bit deceptive; this is not really "A Master Class on the Art of Writing", that is, this book will not tell you how to write, it simply (and only) talks about why to write, or rather, why (some) people do write. It may be a good book if you are a writer who has perhaps hit writer's block and you're thinking to yourself "Why am I putting myself through this torture again?" Or, if like me, you have or have had grand notions of "having written" but without ever putting pen to paper (or in this day and age, fingers to keyboard) and no sign or clear notion that you ever will. It's a good look into the motivations behind writing but that by itself is not enough to make you a writer. It's a bit like reading books-about-books or adding every book that's ever been recommended, directly or indirectly, to your to-read list or deciding to follow a famous booklist such as [b:The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classic Guide to World Literature, Revised and Expanded|249186|The New Lifetime Reading Plan The Classic Guide to World Literature, Revised and Expanded|Clifton Fadiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388614382s/249186.jpg|241449] or [b:Great Books of the Western World|664451|Great Books of the Western World|Mortimer J. Adler|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348329250s/664451.jpg|650511] -- the intention may be there and you may feel a bit better about yourself afterwards but you've not actually made any progress towards the end goal whatsoever.
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