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A review by lanica
Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose
5.0
I tried to read this book, but couldn't find a voice for it. I found myself rereading passages over and over again, trying to 'get into it' but failed. Then I found it available via digital download through my library. Wow! What a difference it makes to have a conversational, educational, and clear voice reading this material. I enjoyed all the passages of other books, and her analysis of each.
The only reservations I have about recommending this book is that she has no qualms about giving away spoilers in the books she is discussing. Many of the books are classics, so having not read "Sense and Sensibility" is my own fault, and there are a lot of works I've never heard of and will probably never get around to reading...but I skipped the section on "The Things They Carried" because it's close to the top of my to read pile.
Also, she ends the book with a long tribute to her love of Chekhov, exhorting us all to read him and learn how to break all the rules she just explained clearly to us. He is a writer I've never been fond of and perhaps it's his disregard to rules that makes me cringe when I read him.
If you are interested in learning to read critically, or write thoughtfully, this is an excellent resource.
The only reservations I have about recommending this book is that she has no qualms about giving away spoilers in the books she is discussing. Many of the books are classics, so having not read "Sense and Sensibility" is my own fault, and there are a lot of works I've never heard of and will probably never get around to reading...but I skipped the section on "The Things They Carried" because it's close to the top of my to read pile.
Also, she ends the book with a long tribute to her love of Chekhov, exhorting us all to read him and learn how to break all the rules she just explained clearly to us. He is a writer I've never been fond of and perhaps it's his disregard to rules that makes me cringe when I read him.
If you are interested in learning to read critically, or write thoughtfully, this is an excellent resource.