![]() ![]() In the first half of the book, Gardner develops the idea that fiction should be as an uninterrupted dream, that technique should bolster the experience of this dream and not interrupt it. Attitude problems aside, after all, Gardner does provide great advice and a clear theoretical approach to writing fiction.įor practical purposes, the second half of the book, devoted to a discussion of common mistakes and how to avoid them, is particularly useful. He frequently comes off as a pompous jerk, but he's a pompous jerk who knows his stuff. Reading Gardner's book requires the ability to let condescension and elitism slide. (Particularly troublesome for me is his repeated dismissal and unwarranted criticism of literature teachers.) It is mostly sound advice for those who wish to write fiction in the tradition of the "greats" (e.g., classical literature and such relatively modern writers as Tolstoy and Melville), but it is provided with a heaping side dish of condescension for everyone else. And his tastes definitely color the advice he gives. The first half of the book is devoted to more theoretical discussions of the art of fiction, some of which is very useful and some of which is quite particular to Gardner's own literary tastes. Gardner's book strives to offer more than the multitude of alternatives do, however, and, generally, I'd say he succeeds. ![]() This is one of very, very many books on how to write fiction. ![]()
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