Since I had only one chapter left of Francine Prose’s Reading Like a Writer, I decided to finish last night instead of on my lunch break at work. That way I got to start a new book today, The Gutenberg Elegies by Sven Birkerts. So far I am enjoying it. But I am getting off track.
Dorothy has already finished the book and she found it a bit disappointing. I must say I did too. I expected something more than I got. I felt like it was a book like any other book about how to read closely and carefully only instead of the goal being study, it is to learn writing from the experts–assuming you are reading “literature” and not fluff. And that assumption was one of the things that bothered me a bit because Prose assumes what the reader wants to write is Literature and so one must read Literature. I am all for the reading of Literature, but there aren’t many people who write it. And I was a bit disappointed Prose did not open up the discussion to include different kinds of Literature, because, in my opinion, Literature isn’t all Tolstoy and Chekhov, Literature can be found in different genres which require different approaches and emphasis on different elements than straight up classic Literature. Of course her suggestions for close reading apply across genre, but I felt a certain lack of acknowledgment on that.
Aside from the annoying first three chapters on words, sentences and paragraphs, she takes a general approach to various topics like narration, gesture, dialogue, etc. Instead of filling the book with page after page of illustrating quotations, I wish she would have sometimes gotten more specific. For instance, it would have been nice if she had talked about setting and time. By time I mean whether a story is told in the past, present, or future. Also the order in which a story is told as well as the length of time over which the story takes place–a day, a year, generations–and also the pace at which the story is told. These are important things to pay attention to for readers and writers.
The book wasn’t all bad. She had some interesting things to say about point of view and the various ways to write from a first person, some of which don’t use “I.” I also liked part of her discussion of dialogue in which she points out that sometimes dialogue is not about what is being said but what is not being said, or what is attempting to be hidden–the subtext.
I found the chapter on Chekhov to be the best in the book. In it she admits that there are no rules when it comes to writing. Everything she told her students to do, or not do, seemed to be contradicted in one way or other by Chekhov. She even told her class to read Chekhov instead of listen to her.
My copy of the book has an interview Prose did with The Atlantic Online. In the interview, Prose says that the book is “about the pleasure of reading and about learning to write.” When the interviewer tells Prose she is thinking of using the book for one of her writing classes, Prose responds:
Yeah, well that’s my hope. It really is my hope that people will use it in classes–and not just for the obvious reasons. For me, writing this book was a pretty passionate endeavor. What I’m hoping is that some of that passion gets through. Because it seems to me that the most important thing in any discussion of reading and writing is that intense commitment to the whole process.
Which leaves me wondering what the motivation behind writing the book was.
The book would probably be good reading for someone who wants to be a writer but doesn’t have a lot of experience with close reading. For an avid reader who does not want to be a writer or who has had practice with close reading, the book will probably feel a little lightweight.
I took a look at this one in a bookstore recently and, though momentarily tempted to buy it, I put it back on the shelf because I really didn’t see anything new or that inspiring in it. It seem to be a rehash of ideas I’ve seen in several other books already. I’m a bit relieved to see that you feel basically the same way because I’ve wondered about the book since that encounter with it.
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It sounds like a good book to check out from the library and skim or look for the chapters that look most interesting! I look forward to hearing what you think of the Birkerts book–it sounds as though it has generated a bit of controversy!
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Yes, I do agree – at worst it’s a collection of excerpts that Francine Prose really likes and that we can all coo over. I suppose I take issue with the pedagogical angle, in that I’m not sure how you would learn from this. Still, I have added more books to my TBR list that I liked the sound of (not that this could be classified an advantage, given the size of my TBR pile!).
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Sam, yes, there is not much inspiration in the book. Passion for reading, yes, but inspiration, no.
Danielle, it would be a good book to borrow from the library.
Litlove, I think you are supposed to learn by osmosis π Because of the books I add to my TBR pile too, the book waas not a complete loss. I’m looking forward to your final thoughts on the book.
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Between you and Dorothy I’ve decided not to read this. Of course, it’s helped that while I’m doing so much writing I’ve placed a moratorium on how to write books!
As a writer it’s interesting to think about this issue behind writing “literature” – I think there is a post somewhere else (or maybe even here!) on the lack of people writing what qualifies at “literature” – and as I think about it I’m in no way writing literature – I’m just trying to write a good book, you know? A book I would want to read, with characters I could fall in love with. Okay, my own post on this coming soon…
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Courtney, I think if you are someone who is trying to write, there probably reaches a point where how to write books become useless and you just have go it on your own. I’ve not written anything about the lack of people writing “literature” or at least I don’t think I have. I wonder, do writers set out to write it or do they all do like you do and it’s other people that decide if something is “literature” or not? Hmm. Something to ponder. I look forward to your post on the subject.
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Good points, Stefanie, about the kinds of texts she acknowledges and discusses and her omission of things like time and setting. I think this was an interesting book to read more for the ways we’ve critiqued it than for its inherent value — but that’s not a bad thing really.
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Dare I suggest she hopes it will be read in classes because then she will sell more copies? just a thought (albeit a naughty one.)Good review, Stephanie, and I like this blog.
I’ve had similar inhibitions about Jane Smiley’s 13 Ways of Looking At The Novel which I dipped into and out of rather smartly recently – just annoying. They can be a bit too subjective, some of these writing teachers.
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My husband selected this from my wishlist as a present this past Christmas, but I still haven’t read it, and am even less inclined to do so after reading yours and Dorothy’s reviews.
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Oh drat! I had heard of this book and was tempted to get it for my Spring Reading Challenge. I think I’ll look around for another option.
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Dorothy, in our critique of the book, could we say we were reading like writers? π
Genevieve, I had that naughty thought too. I’ve got the Smiley book but haven’t cracked it open yet as I have heard that it contains lots of spoilers. I hadn’t thought of dipping though. And thanks for your nice compliment! π
Lesley, don’t let me turn you off from the book. It does have some good stuff in it, just don’t embark on your reading of it with high expectations.
Deb, ditto to you what I said to Lesley. If you don’t already own it and decide to read it, check it out from the library that way if you don’t like it you aren’t out the cash.
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I’m finishing up the final two chapters of this book and it’s nice to see that I’m not alone in my feelings for this book. It receieved such good reviews that I was wondering if perhaps I was missing something or that perhaps I wasn’t reading as “critically” as was supposed to be. I’m forcing my way through to the end but I must say that I’m very disappointed. I expected so much more.
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J.S. it seems there is a growing number of us who have been or are disappointed by the book. It’s too bad, really. There was such potential there for something quite good.
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