A review by almo
The Art of Fiction by Henry James

I don't know how to rate this essay. I could give it 4 stars, pretending I understood the whole thing, but I did not. So, an enjoyable read? Not really. But the essence of the essay struck home. The people of today (1.5 centuries after this has been written) who still look down upon fiction need a bucket of ice water to wake up from that idiotic snobbery; it takes a level of creativity and intelligence so high to write a 'good' novel. One I could only dream of possessing.