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How to Write Like Tolstoy: A Journey into the Minds of Our Greatest Writers by Richard Cohen
jacki_f's review against another edition
3.0
Richard Cohen has worked in the publishing industry for many years as an editor and in various other roles. This book is his attempt to summarise what he has learned about how fiction writers make the decisions that they do, using extensive examples from literature. It's an entertaining and interesting book although I am not sure how much practical use it gives. I read it not to learn how to write but because I was interested in learning how to read better.
Each chapter focuses on another decision that writers make, among them: the first sentence, the central characters, what point of view to use, what tone to adopt, how to revise their writing and how to conclude their stories. It felt that there wasn't enough material here because he's padded it out with additional chapters that add little eg a chapter on how hard it is to write sex scenes and basically no one has ever done it well, there are just some who do it more badly than others.
I've read this gradually over the last couple of weeks and I've enjoyed having it in the back of my mind as I read other books - focusing on what the writer is trying to achieve with their first sentence, their choice of narrator or the way they have developed their characters. I found some of his passing asides the most interesting - for example the fact that the most successful characters are not predictable and this can be achieved by combining characters, or Rudyard Kipling's declaration that writers should deliberately remove material from their stories to increase pressure on the reader, rather than spelling everything out.
Of less practical use but interesting nonetheless are the chapters that focus on writers' routines (which are all over the shop), how they revise and how they interact with their editors (ranging the gamut from total compliance to total hostility). I was intrigued by Cohen's observation that most first drafts have 2-3 major problems in them, but if they have more than that they probably can't be salvaged.
In summary this is an interesting book for anyone who enjoys reading but I don't think it necessarily brings a lot to the table for someone looking to improve the way that they write.
Each chapter focuses on another decision that writers make, among them: the first sentence, the central characters, what point of view to use, what tone to adopt, how to revise their writing and how to conclude their stories. It felt that there wasn't enough material here because he's padded it out with additional chapters that add little eg a chapter on how hard it is to write sex scenes and basically no one has ever done it well, there are just some who do it more badly than others.
I've read this gradually over the last couple of weeks and I've enjoyed having it in the back of my mind as I read other books - focusing on what the writer is trying to achieve with their first sentence, their choice of narrator or the way they have developed their characters. I found some of his passing asides the most interesting - for example the fact that the most successful characters are not predictable and this can be achieved by combining characters, or Rudyard Kipling's declaration that writers should deliberately remove material from their stories to increase pressure on the reader, rather than spelling everything out.
Of less practical use but interesting nonetheless are the chapters that focus on writers' routines (which are all over the shop), how they revise and how they interact with their editors (ranging the gamut from total compliance to total hostility). I was intrigued by Cohen's observation that most first drafts have 2-3 major problems in them, but if they have more than that they probably can't be salvaged.
In summary this is an interesting book for anyone who enjoys reading but I don't think it necessarily brings a lot to the table for someone looking to improve the way that they write.
starthistle1's review against another edition
5.0
Unlike most books about writing that I’ve read (which is, I admit, a very short list), this book tends to avoid prescription and specific advice. Rather, it’s primarily concerned with what has worked, and what hasn’t in writing. The subtitle is particularly apt: Cohen focuses primarily on successful literary works and authors and his own experiences working as their editor. It embraces and encourages the diversity of literature and style, while pointing out other resources in an extensive and well-chosen bibliography.
Though it lacks a strongly resonant central theme, I think in this case it works to the book’s advantage. Literature is highly diverse, and is always changing with the sensibilities of its readers. Cohen tackles the issues that he seems to be most interested in or where he’s seen the most problems. This made the book all the more helpful. Rather than mechanics alone, the focus is on feel and tone, established through extensive quotations of both authors and of their writing. In doing so, he implicitly acknowledges the reality that people write and read differently from one another, and prescriptive advice will almost always fall short for some.
All in all, an excellent read for anyone interested in writing better or reading more deeply and critically.
Though it lacks a strongly resonant central theme, I think in this case it works to the book’s advantage. Literature is highly diverse, and is always changing with the sensibilities of its readers. Cohen tackles the issues that he seems to be most interested in or where he’s seen the most problems. This made the book all the more helpful. Rather than mechanics alone, the focus is on feel and tone, established through extensive quotations of both authors and of their writing. In doing so, he implicitly acknowledges the reality that people write and read differently from one another, and prescriptive advice will almost always fall short for some.
All in all, an excellent read for anyone interested in writing better or reading more deeply and critically.
asolorio02's review against another edition
4.0
This isn't actually a craft book, it's more of a conversational piece that explores how great writers approached various writing topics. Topics like sex, character, endings, and revision/editing. Richard Cohen presents the information in a conversational, fun, and engaging tone. At the same time he provides plenty of specific and varied examples, backed with interesting little footnotes. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. While reading, I found myself feeling like I was participating in some super-literary conversation with literary academics and historians. Really good stuff!
allie8973's review against another edition
Skimmed. And yet there is no real advice. More like stories about what you should do.. but nothing that tells you how
talking_to_trees's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a fun read. You don’t need to be an aspiring writer to enjoy it either, and I did wonder about the title, because the book is less of a guide than the title would suggest.
Overall I loved the quips, the showcase of the good, the bad, and the effectively broken rule, as well as the sense of how writing grew through the ages.
I am a reader of almost all genres, and this book has brought new appreciation for what I love about stories and the work that writers put in to give it to us.
Overall I loved the quips, the showcase of the good, the bad, and the effectively broken rule, as well as the sense of how writing grew through the ages.
I am a reader of almost all genres, and this book has brought new appreciation for what I love about stories and the work that writers put in to give it to us.
daydreamangel18's review against another edition
4.0
Book about a multitude of writers and the way they write. Interesting read!
fairybookmother's review against another edition
3.0
The last 19% of this book is just notes! It's an interesting little exploration into how authors use specific techniques in writing.
Thanks to Edelweiss for a review copy!
Thanks to Edelweiss for a review copy!
jeremy_bearimy's review against another edition
3.0
It doesn't surprise me that this book began as a series of university lectures. The author throws in some fun anecdotes but the overall tone is professorial. He also seems to assume that the reader already has extensive knowledge of capital L Literature with casual references to authors and books that I'd never heard of despite being a generally well-read person. As suggested by the book's title, most of his examples are drawn from the classical (Western) canon.
Some of the chapters had a more theoretical bent, such as one that included a deep dive on the relative merits of story- and plot-based approaches to writing. For the most part, I found those discussions interesting, but less helpful than chapters with more advice about the nuts and bolts of writing. I particularly enjoyed the chapters about points of view and dialogue. My enjoyment of this book also increased when I stopped reading the dense footnotes and started skimming detailed examples that I didn't find helpful.
My overall takeaway from this book is that every question I might ask about how to be a better writer has several equally correct answers that ultimately come down to personal preference. I can't decide if that takes some of the pressure off or leaves me feeling even more confused about how to proceed. I suspect that there will be a lot of trial and error in my writing future.
Some of the chapters had a more theoretical bent, such as one that included a deep dive on the relative merits of story- and plot-based approaches to writing. For the most part, I found those discussions interesting, but less helpful than chapters with more advice about the nuts and bolts of writing. I particularly enjoyed the chapters about points of view and dialogue. My enjoyment of this book also increased when I stopped reading the dense footnotes and started skimming detailed examples that I didn't find helpful.
My overall takeaway from this book is that every question I might ask about how to be a better writer has several equally correct answers that ultimately come down to personal preference. I can't decide if that takes some of the pressure off or leaves me feeling even more confused about how to proceed. I suspect that there will be a lot of trial and error in my writing future.
amarrymeinbostonacademic's review against another edition
4.0
I actually first saw this book as one of thousands when I was in Oxford scouring the shelves at the book stores there for some of my course work. This was one of the titles that stuck out to me for several reasons (I’m an aspiring novelist myself and I adored Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina), but I didn’t pick it up then. I remembered this book as well as a few others since I couldn’t afford to buy or carry back every book that I wanted to buy while I was in England. I was lucky enough to find this book again at my local library.
Cohen, the author, is an experienced editor and has been in the literary world for a few decades. He has worked with several famous authors on editing their manuscripts. He often references the classics, however for most of his examples in this book. He mentions George Eliot, Kafka, Jane Austen, D. H. Lawrence, Hemmingway, F. Scot Fitzgerald, Collette, Virginia Wolff, John Updike, James Joyce, Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens, The Bronte Sisters and of course, Tolstoy (among over a dozen other easily recognizable names). This book has serval interesting backstories about these authors’ famous works and tips to be learned from these famous writer’s experiences.
This book was aimed at the process of fiction writing (mostly novels and how to develop them since that’s what Tolstoy is famous for). There were sections on beginnings, character development, dialogue, rhythm and flow in prose (inspired by poetry), two on editing, plot development, sex scenes (with writer’s arguments on whether or not to include them), and the hardest topic of all to do effectively, Cohen argues, endings.
I can’t say I’ve read even half of the books that Cohen used as examples for showing the skills of the famous writers but they helped to illustrate his point. This book is not as academic or inaccessible as I feared it might be. I read it relatively quickly and easily, and I’m not the fastest reader I know by far. If you don’t mind feeling a little less well-read than you think yourself (the author assumes that you’ve read most or all of the texts he presents as an example, of which there are easily dozens), you might really like this book. Of course, the advantage of having a wealth of quality examples to pull from is definitely worth the read alone.
Overall, I liked this book, I rated it four stars. This book made me want to immediately start reading more classics to learn from them (and enjoy the stories, of course!) The process of reading as a writer is unique to reading for pleasure. This book shows different ways about how many authors thought in relation to creating their most beloved classic novels. If you like books about books, this is probably for you. Obviously, if you are interested writing or the lives and processes of famous writers, then this book will definitely interest you.
Cohen, the author, is an experienced editor and has been in the literary world for a few decades. He has worked with several famous authors on editing their manuscripts. He often references the classics, however for most of his examples in this book. He mentions George Eliot, Kafka, Jane Austen, D. H. Lawrence, Hemmingway, F. Scot Fitzgerald, Collette, Virginia Wolff, John Updike, James Joyce, Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens, The Bronte Sisters and of course, Tolstoy (among over a dozen other easily recognizable names). This book has serval interesting backstories about these authors’ famous works and tips to be learned from these famous writer’s experiences.
This book was aimed at the process of fiction writing (mostly novels and how to develop them since that’s what Tolstoy is famous for). There were sections on beginnings, character development, dialogue, rhythm and flow in prose (inspired by poetry), two on editing, plot development, sex scenes (with writer’s arguments on whether or not to include them), and the hardest topic of all to do effectively, Cohen argues, endings.
I can’t say I’ve read even half of the books that Cohen used as examples for showing the skills of the famous writers but they helped to illustrate his point. This book is not as academic or inaccessible as I feared it might be. I read it relatively quickly and easily, and I’m not the fastest reader I know by far. If you don’t mind feeling a little less well-read than you think yourself (the author assumes that you’ve read most or all of the texts he presents as an example, of which there are easily dozens), you might really like this book. Of course, the advantage of having a wealth of quality examples to pull from is definitely worth the read alone.
Overall, I liked this book, I rated it four stars. This book made me want to immediately start reading more classics to learn from them (and enjoy the stories, of course!) The process of reading as a writer is unique to reading for pleasure. This book shows different ways about how many authors thought in relation to creating their most beloved classic novels. If you like books about books, this is probably for you. Obviously, if you are interested writing or the lives and processes of famous writers, then this book will definitely interest you.
daaan's review against another edition
3.0
This veered quite wildly between flights of directionless erudition, filling pages with an inchoate mass
of information that didn't really do anything for me, versus stretches of highly insightful analysis. So not amazing, but some of the chapters will be worth revisiting. The title is highly inaccurate though, this book completely misses the meaning of the word how.
of information that didn't really do anything for me, versus stretches of highly insightful analysis. So not amazing, but some of the chapters will be worth revisiting. The title is highly inaccurate though, this book completely misses the meaning of the word how.