aminowrimo 's review for:

Essays in the Art of Writing by Robert Louis Stevenson

2.0

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Read because it's on the subject of a 'hobby' I love, (YLTO! 'S Getting to Know You challenge), and because it's old enough to be found on FreeBooks, this is a collection of essays on writing by Robert Louis Stevenson.

The first: On Some Technical Elements of Style in Literature, can be found in basically any book on writing, with perhaps less entertaining metaphor (juggling oranges), but definitely with easier to understand style.

The second: The Morality of the Profession of Letters, can be summed up in: "Those who work primarily for money don't have good writing," and is true of just about every profession.

The third: Books Which Have Influenced Me, is interesting because it suggests other books people might want to read.

The fourth: A Note on Realism, is exactly that.

The fifth: My First Book: [b:Treasure Island|295|Treasure Island|Robert Louis Stevenson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312023209s/295.jpg|3077988], is information as to how Stevenson came up with Treasure Island. I think when writers are asked "How do you come up with your ideas," what the questioner really means to ask is, "How did you come up with this idea? And that's what this answers.

The sixth: The Genesis of "The Master of Ballantrae", is about the same as the above.

The seventh: Preface to "The Master of Ballantrae", I think is meant to be part of "The Master of Ballantrae."

All in all, probably not worth a read in total. Though the last three and the third might be of interest to those who have read and liked his works, the others feel a bit too flowery, and by the time you decipher the language, you've lost interest in the message.