- Hardcover: 208 pages
- Publisher: Jonathan Cape Ltd (7 Feb 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0224079832
- ISBN-13: 978-0224079839
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 13.8 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 450,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Irish Times
'the overall spirit and implication of this book are as important as its direct statements'
Scotland on Sunday
`this compelling essay shows just how deeply, sensitively, imaginatively and joyfully he reads'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
An engrossing examination of the writers art, and a must read for anyone with a love of books and writing. James Wood explores classic and modern writers and their works to divine the essence of what makes great literature - looking at narration, detail, dialogue and other characteristics that make up a novel. This illuminating and erudite study of fiction should be read by all aspiring authors and book worms who ponder over the elusive qualities that create great literature.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The title attracted my attention: I know what I like when I read it, but I don't always stop to analyse how it works, or even why. I also wondered, as I made a decision to read, whether a book of less than 300 pages could address this to my satisfaction.
I found the book interesting. Far from attempting definitive answers, Professor Wood poses a set of questions to consider as part of critical reading. Consider the following:
`What do we mean when we say we `know' a fictional character?'
`What constitutes a `telling' detail?'
`When is a metaphor successful?'
`Why do most endings of novels disappoint?'
Professor Wood covers the narrative and style of a range of different authors, including Homer, Austen, Woolf, Bellow, Beatrix Potter, Coetzee, Le Carre and Pynchon.
For me, this book is a starting point rather than a destination. I enjoyed the writing, didn't always share the conclusions and would like to consider further some of the other forms of fiction apart from novels.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
I found the book interesting. Far from attempting definitive answers, Professor Wood poses a set of questions to consider as part of critical reading. Consider the following:
`What do we mean when we say we `know' a fictional character?'
`What constitutes a `telling' detail?'
`When is a metaphor successful?'
`Why do most endings of novels disappoint?'
Professor Wood covers the narrative and style of a range of different authors, including Homer, Austen, Woolf, Bellow, Beatrix Potter, Coetzee, Le Carre and Pynchon.
For me, this book is a starting point rather than a destination. I enjoyed the writing, didn't always share the conclusions and would like to consider further some of the other forms of fiction apart from novels.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book. I haven't studied English Literature since I was at school and was looking for something that wasn't overly academic but would give me a better understanding of the novel.
I was impressed with this book as it did just that. Wood clearly knows what he's talking about and his enthusiasm for reading is clear throughout the book. There isn't overuse of jargon and so the book was perfect for me as a non-academic. There is good use of references to other sources and the novels mentioned as examples are nicely varied. The references are clearly noted in a bibliography at the end of the book and so this is a good source if you're looking to do some further reading.
Whilst this is a fairly short book and therefore doesn't encompass everything, there are many aspects covered including narration, detail, character, language and more. There are also a couple of sections dedicated to Flaubert and his use of free indirect style.
I found this to be a good resource and starting point for literary theory. It will certainly make me think a little more about what I'm reading and has made me want to read more about the workings of the novel.
I was impressed with this book as it did just that. Wood clearly knows what he's talking about and his enthusiasm for reading is clear throughout the book. There isn't overuse of jargon and so the book was perfect for me as a non-academic. There is good use of references to other sources and the novels mentioned as examples are nicely varied. The references are clearly noted in a bibliography at the end of the book and so this is a good source if you're looking to do some further reading.
Whilst this is a fairly short book and therefore doesn't encompass everything, there are many aspects covered including narration, detail, character, language and more. There are also a couple of sections dedicated to Flaubert and his use of free indirect style.
I found this to be a good resource and starting point for literary theory. It will certainly make me think a little more about what I'm reading and has made me want to read more about the workings of the novel.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Helpful
I bought this in Aberystwyth and could not put it down on the bus back to my university campus in Lampeter (South Wales), just over an hour away. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Arawly
Very interesting and readable
Very interesting and readable - I liked the style history with the key developments as well as some pointers about different possible methods. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Adam
Ticks all the boxes
It is a great reference book, particularly for the sections on free indirect discourse point of view and character creation.
Published 13 months ago by Janey
Woods on Wood
I heard just a part of one of James Wood's five "Essays" on the BBC Radio 3 late night slot and it alone sent me running out to buy this book. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Dr. David Woods
disappointing quality
Whereas the content of this book is interesting and well informed, the book itself was very poor quality. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Moira
Very nice introduction
I enjoyed this review of writing styles very much. The author opens up and displays the very obvious but craftily hidden techniques of the great novelists, focusing on the concept... Read more
Published on 28 Aug 2009 by S. Zacharias
A truly exhilirating read
Don't take heed of the other reviews, this is a truly brilliant book. Part-literary criticism, part advice on how to write a novel, and part poetry. Read more
Published on 19 Feb 2009 by R. Ahmed
Smart and uncluttered
Really enjoyed reading Wood on how fiction works. In a discipline rife with the verbose, the convoluted and the pompous, his plain clarity of thought is refreshing. Read more
Published on 5 April 2008 by Giles B
Great concept poor execution
To be honest this was something as an avid reader and an amateur writer that I really was looking forward to. Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2008 by Gareth Wilson - Falcata Times Blog
Our Strangest Critic
This book comes with a quote from the New York Review of Books on the cover that describes Wood as 'the strongest...literary critic we have'. The missing words are 'and strangest'. Read more
Published on 25 Feb 2008 by Sam Allenby
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