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What to Read and Why
In this brilliant collection, the follow-up to her New York Times bestseller Reading Like a Writer, the distinguished novelist, literary critic, and essayist celebrates the pleasures of reading and pays homage to the works and writers she admires above all others, from Jane Austen and Charles Dickens to Jennifer Egan and Roberto Bolaño.
In an age defined by hyper-connectivity and constant stimulation, Francine Prose makes a compelling case for the solitary act of reading and the great enjoyment it brings. Inspiring and illuminating, What to Read and Why includes selections culled from Prose’s previous essays, reviews, and introductions, combined with new, never-before-published pieces that focus on her favorite works of fiction and nonfiction, on works by masters of the short story, and even on books by photographers like Diane Arbus.
Prose considers why the works of literary masters such as Mary Shelley, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, and Jane Austen have endured, and shares intriguing insights about modern authors whose words stimulate our minds and enlarge our lives, including Roberto Bolaño, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Jennifer Egan, and Mohsin Hamid. Prose implores us to read Mavis Gallant for her marvelously rich and compact sentences, and her meticulously rendered characters who reveal our flawed and complex human nature; Edward St. Aubyn for his elegance and sophisticated humor; and Mark Strand for his gift for depicting unlikely transformations. Here, too, are original pieces in which Prose explores the craft of "On Clarity" and "What Makes a Short Story."
Written with her sharp critical analysis, wit, and enthusiasm, What to Read and Why is a celebration of literature that will give readers a new appreciation for the power and beauty of the written word.
In an age defined by hyper-connectivity and constant stimulation, Francine Prose makes a compelling case for the solitary act of reading and the great enjoyment it brings. Inspiring and illuminating, What to Read and Why includes selections culled from Prose’s previous essays, reviews, and introductions, combined with new, never-before-published pieces that focus on her favorite works of fiction and nonfiction, on works by masters of the short story, and even on books by photographers like Diane Arbus.
Prose considers why the works of literary masters such as Mary Shelley, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, and Jane Austen have endured, and shares intriguing insights about modern authors whose words stimulate our minds and enlarge our lives, including Roberto Bolaño, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Jennifer Egan, and Mohsin Hamid. Prose implores us to read Mavis Gallant for her marvelously rich and compact sentences, and her meticulously rendered characters who reveal our flawed and complex human nature; Edward St. Aubyn for his elegance and sophisticated humor; and Mark Strand for his gift for depicting unlikely transformations. Here, too, are original pieces in which Prose explores the craft of "On Clarity" and "What Makes a Short Story."
Written with her sharp critical analysis, wit, and enthusiasm, What to Read and Why is a celebration of literature that will give readers a new appreciation for the power and beauty of the written word.
341 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 3, 2018
143 people are currently reading
2229 people want to read
About the author
Francine Prose
154 books855 followersFrancine Prose is the author of twenty works of fiction. Her novel A Changed Man won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and Blue Angel was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her most recent works of nonfiction include the highly acclaimed Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife, and the New York Times bestseller Reading Like a Writer. The recipient of numerous grants and honors, including a Guggenheim and a Fulbright, a Director's Fellow at the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, Prose is a former president of PEN American Center, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her most recent book is Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932. She lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
July 18, 2018
Essays about books, reading, and authors. Some I have read, some I haven't but choose not to, and others were added to my tbr. Which is the whole point of reading books like this. I did appreciate the background information on the authors.
May 18, 2018
For comparison, I LOVE Prose's Reading Like a Writer but What to Read and Why is like its pale third cousin. It feels like a random collection of essays, which aren't particularly compelling or intersectional, and the "why" part is pretty vague. Two chapters capture the feel of Reading Like a Writer - "On Clarity" and "What Makes a Short Story?" - but these come at the end of the book, so too little, too late. Skip this one, unless you die hard on the hill of "Books about Books" then I recommend borrowing from the library.
June 29, 2018
I have discovered that no other writer displays an inextinguishable passion for reading and books like Francine Prose. The level of close reading she undertakes in order to really absorb a work of literature is inspiring and a joy itself to read. As she explains in her introduction, this collection is a mix of book reviews, introductions to classics and various relevant essays. Many authors were familiar but many more were added to my ever expanding list of books to read in the future. My recommendation is to read them slowly, not only to discover "what to read and why" but to also learn how to read in order to become fully immersed in a story. I kindly received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 10, 2020
A very enjoyable book about books and what makes them into classics or simply a great read!
July 31, 2018
I should have paid attention to the Goodreads reviews. I found this well-written but dreary. It didn't inspire me to read any of the authors mentioned. For books about reading, I will stick with Anne Fadiman from now on.
June 19, 2022
Bland prose; gentle insights of a not too profound nature; unsurprising choices (apart from an appreciation of Stanley Elkin) and a host of mostly canonical ones. Possibly useful for beginner readers, but not essential.
December 12, 2023
An excellent read discussing Ms. Prose's favorites and why. As someone who reads a great deal and seeks to understand what I've read and why I should read something, this book was very valuable. Her discussions are easy to understand; her points are well presented along with passages being discussed. I highly recommend Francine Prose for readers who enjoy books about books and delving deep into the why of reading.
August 12, 2018
This is a random collection of essays on writers, books and various aspects of literature that lacks structure and cohesiveness. Prose offers no rationale for her selections and very little explanation as to why we should read them. I was very inspired by her previous book, Reading Like a Writer, but sadly this one was a letdown.
May 28, 2022
Pretty good essays on an assortment of different novels; makes me enthusiastic to read more stuff so thx Francine
June 21, 2019
RATING: 4 STARS
2018; Harper/HarperCollins Canada
I have had various books by Francine Prose on my tbr list for awhile. I didn't know if I should start with her fiction or nonfiction first. As the years would pass, and my list would get longer, I saw this new book and put in my request. The title is my reason for reviewing books. No matter how many books you read there is always the question, what to read next? People can throw titles at you like darts, but sometimes that alone is not enough to know what to pick up next. I can be either the best or worst person to ask for a recommendation (my book club knows this well) as I feel the need to give a book report with that recommendation. I will say, before I go any further, some of the novels that Prose mentions in this book will have spoilers. There were a few chapt ers I read only a bit into as I want to read what happens on it’s own. This is why I would not give this a perfect 5 star rating.
I think in a time where people assume reading books is becoming an extinct “hobby”, Prose makes a case for why reading has never ceased in popularity. Reading books can be a solitary activity, much like scrolling through Facebook and Instagram, but as these social media platforms have gained popularity so have reading communities. Now there are sites like Goodreads that brings together readers discussing their love of reading and/or a particular book. If you cannot find an in-person book club you can always find an online reading group. It appears like readers are the new nerds but it is just they have a new platform to share what they have always loved.
When I saw and read Prose’s “ What makes a Short Story” I rejoiced inside! It was so great to see this form of writing getting positive feedback, but also explain what makes a short story great. Prose talks about forms of writing, what makes a great writing and who (some of) those writers are. This book is listed in the genre of “literary criticism”, but DO NOT get scared off! Prose’s own writing is easy to read and understand. I was going to read an essay a noght, but once I got into the book , I was half finished, and read the rest the next night. I would recommend this to any reader!
***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***
My Novelesque Blog
2018; Harper/HarperCollins Canada
I have had various books by Francine Prose on my tbr list for awhile. I didn't know if I should start with her fiction or nonfiction first. As the years would pass, and my list would get longer, I saw this new book and put in my request. The title is my reason for reviewing books. No matter how many books you read there is always the question, what to read next? People can throw titles at you like darts, but sometimes that alone is not enough to know what to pick up next. I can be either the best or worst person to ask for a recommendation (my book club knows this well) as I feel the need to give a book report with that recommendation. I will say, before I go any further, some of the novels that Prose mentions in this book will have spoilers. There were a few chapt ers I read only a bit into as I want to read what happens on it’s own. This is why I would not give this a perfect 5 star rating.
I think in a time where people assume reading books is becoming an extinct “hobby”, Prose makes a case for why reading has never ceased in popularity. Reading books can be a solitary activity, much like scrolling through Facebook and Instagram, but as these social media platforms have gained popularity so have reading communities. Now there are sites like Goodreads that brings together readers discussing their love of reading and/or a particular book. If you cannot find an in-person book club you can always find an online reading group. It appears like readers are the new nerds but it is just they have a new platform to share what they have always loved.
When I saw and read Prose’s “ What makes a Short Story” I rejoiced inside! It was so great to see this form of writing getting positive feedback, but also explain what makes a short story great. Prose talks about forms of writing, what makes a great writing and who (some of) those writers are. This book is listed in the genre of “literary criticism”, but DO NOT get scared off! Prose’s own writing is easy to read and understand. I was going to read an essay a noght, but once I got into the book , I was half finished, and read the rest the next night. I would recommend this to any reader!
***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***
My Novelesque Blog
November 27, 2020
I read this purely for recommendations! It did that job, I learned about lots of authors and got a fresh and positive perspective on several classics. I just wish Prose realized that by writing a review of an author or work, she was endorsing it for its quality. You wrote an essay on it and published it! I'm convinced it's worth my time by that alone! Instead, she spends so much time *telling* you about the quality these works possess - that they are unparalleled, masterful, "luminous and enthralling" (direct quote from the first line of an essay that I CANNOT get over) rather than just getting on with it. By the end of it you wish she'd take her own advice about clarity that she keeps waxing on about telling her undergraduates.
October 4, 2018
https://www.dallasnews.com/arts/books...
Dallas has a chance to talk books with Francine Prose and the editor of the New York Times Book Review
July 3, 21018
Jenny Shank, Special Contributor
Francine Prose, grande dame of American letters, has been publishing fiction, essays and criticism for more than 40 years, including her most recent novel, 2016's Mister Monkey, her 21st work of fiction. She's won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Fulbright. What's her writing secret? As Prose explained in 2006's Reading Like A Writer, she never formally studied writing — she learned from reading voraciously and studying other writers' technique.
The close-reading approach Prose advocated for in Reading Like A Writer created a sensation among aspiring writers, is now a creative writing curriculum staple, and might be the book Prose is best known for. Her just-released What to Read and Why (Harper, $23.99), is a companion to that hit, compiling "written pieces that I did for various prefaces for reissues of classics and long-form reviews," she explained over the phone from her home in New York, where she teaches at Bard College.
Prose will appear with the editor of the New York Times Book Review, Pamela Paul, at the Dallas Museum of Art on July 10, to discuss their mutual love of books as a part of the Arts & Letters Live series. (The conversation has been edited.)
You probably weren't the first person to tell writers to read closely, but your book seemed to crystallize that notion. Were you surprised by the reception of Reading Like A Writer?
I'm amazed, and believe me, my publisher was amazed. They did a modest printing at the beginning. All it had was one review in the New York Times Book Review, and suddenly there it was, being assigned in classrooms and so forth. I couldn't be more delighted, for my book and for writing in general.
You're primarily a novelist, but are you asked about Reading Like A Writer more often than you are about your novels?
[Laughs.] It depends who I'm talking to. It's certainly assigned in classrooms more often than my novels are. Often when I was on tour for Reading Like A Writer or talking to people about it, people would say, "What should I read?" There's a list of 118 books that I recommend at the end of Reading Like A Writer. One of the reasons I wanted to do this new one is to go a little more in depth about why I think someone should read these books.
If there were one classic book that you could convince more people to read, which would it be?
I really can't. Start anywhere, read all of them.
You write that you recruited friends to read Roberto Bolaño's 2666 so you could talk about it.
[Laughs.] In a way, you could say this whole book is a big recruitment program. I feel like I'm recruiting people to read all these books. My class at Bard College is like a book group that I don't have to be democratic about. It's great to be able to talk to people about books that you love. They have characters that are suddenly like people you know in common.
It's like when someone tries to work the name of the person they have a crush on into every conversation — I feel that way when talking about books I love.
Exactly. The joke about first dates is that they're like, "Oh, you like beer? I like beer." It's sort of like that with books. When you have the same favorite book as someone else, you do feel, right off the bat, that there's something you have in common with that person.
You write about 2666 — "Bolaño's terrifying and gorgeous vulture of a novel keeps landing in the same place — Santa Teresa — but the arc of its flight reminds you that evil is like that: it touches down in one country this time, next year in another place." Would you prescribe this novel to people to gain some insight about current events?
Yes. For one thing, a great deal of it takes place on the U.S./Mexican border. I can't think of a more important place to think about now. So much of it is about the murders of these thousands of women on that border — women who came up through Central America, who were working in factories. It couldn't be more current or relevant. His desire to give names and histories and individual stories to these women who have become just numbers — it's fantastic.
How do you choose which contemporary books to read?
Whenever I can, I read the first two or three pages. Often it's just, do I like the way this is written? That usually has more of an effect on me than the plot or the subject or the theme. It's just: Do I like these sentences that are on the page?
You write about Mohsin Hamid's Exit West. That novel struck me as having a timeless quality as well as a timeliness, and an utter freshness. Would you place a bet on that novel to endure?
I think it's a terrific book. It addresses the global refugee crisis, but it's also beautifully written and so inventive. The characters are so engaging, and you're rooting for them hard as you're reading the book. It has everything you want from fiction.
You include an essay on the importance of clarity in writing, describing "paper-ese" — this language you only see in student papers. You cure the students of this by having them ask themselves, "Would I say this?" Have you noticed changes in student writing over the years, perhaps among the generation that grew up with text messaging, or is the paper-ese pretty consistent?
It differs from year to year so much. This past year, they could all write, and it was extraordinary how well they could write. [I asked them how they learned to write.] One of them said, "I wrote book reviews for Goodreads, and that was my way of publication when I was in high school, and I honed my style writing for this website." Some of them were from other countries, so they had a more stringent education. People say, 'Well, kids can't write anymore.' But it depends, because I was lucky enough to teach a dozen students who were unbelievably gifted.
It was just about clarity. That's what makes it fairly easy to help a student who is having trouble writing. You just say, what are you trying to say? They find a way of saying what they've been trying to say, which is not in paper-ese, that weird language they've been taught to write in.
In Rick Bass' new memoir The Traveling Feast, he observes that writers rarely retire. Do you plan to keep writing?
I can't imagine what else I would do. Yes, I plan to keep on writing. I have grandchildren, I have a garden, and I've always tried to have what you would call a life in addition to being a writer. But I'm writing all the time. It's hard work and etcetera, but it's a source of great happiness and satisfaction. Also, by now I've so internalized the guilt from not writing that I can't imagine how I would live with it if I stopped.
A lot of people, myself included, have said that the current political moment is making it harder to write. It's very distracting, and it's never seemed to me so hard to stop looking at my phone and go back to what I'm working on. But that's just the moment we live in.
Which of your novels would you most like to be remembered and reread the way that you have reflected on the books in What to Read and Why?
The most recent one of course, Mister Monkey. Writing that book was sort of like opening a vein. The review it got in the Sunday New York Times by Cathleen Schine was the best review I've ever gotten. It so got what I was trying to do. A number of people thought it was just this comedy. But I thought everything I know about human beings went into that book.
Jenny Shank's first novel, The Ringer, won the High Plains Book Award.
Dallas has a chance to talk books with Francine Prose and the editor of the New York Times Book Review
July 3, 21018
Jenny Shank, Special Contributor
Francine Prose, grande dame of American letters, has been publishing fiction, essays and criticism for more than 40 years, including her most recent novel, 2016's Mister Monkey, her 21st work of fiction. She's won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Fulbright. What's her writing secret? As Prose explained in 2006's Reading Like A Writer, she never formally studied writing — she learned from reading voraciously and studying other writers' technique.
The close-reading approach Prose advocated for in Reading Like A Writer created a sensation among aspiring writers, is now a creative writing curriculum staple, and might be the book Prose is best known for. Her just-released What to Read and Why (Harper, $23.99), is a companion to that hit, compiling "written pieces that I did for various prefaces for reissues of classics and long-form reviews," she explained over the phone from her home in New York, where she teaches at Bard College.
Prose will appear with the editor of the New York Times Book Review, Pamela Paul, at the Dallas Museum of Art on July 10, to discuss their mutual love of books as a part of the Arts & Letters Live series. (The conversation has been edited.)
You probably weren't the first person to tell writers to read closely, but your book seemed to crystallize that notion. Were you surprised by the reception of Reading Like A Writer?
I'm amazed, and believe me, my publisher was amazed. They did a modest printing at the beginning. All it had was one review in the New York Times Book Review, and suddenly there it was, being assigned in classrooms and so forth. I couldn't be more delighted, for my book and for writing in general.
You're primarily a novelist, but are you asked about Reading Like A Writer more often than you are about your novels?
[Laughs.] It depends who I'm talking to. It's certainly assigned in classrooms more often than my novels are. Often when I was on tour for Reading Like A Writer or talking to people about it, people would say, "What should I read?" There's a list of 118 books that I recommend at the end of Reading Like A Writer. One of the reasons I wanted to do this new one is to go a little more in depth about why I think someone should read these books.
If there were one classic book that you could convince more people to read, which would it be?
I really can't. Start anywhere, read all of them.
You write that you recruited friends to read Roberto Bolaño's 2666 so you could talk about it.
[Laughs.] In a way, you could say this whole book is a big recruitment program. I feel like I'm recruiting people to read all these books. My class at Bard College is like a book group that I don't have to be democratic about. It's great to be able to talk to people about books that you love. They have characters that are suddenly like people you know in common.
It's like when someone tries to work the name of the person they have a crush on into every conversation — I feel that way when talking about books I love.
Exactly. The joke about first dates is that they're like, "Oh, you like beer? I like beer." It's sort of like that with books. When you have the same favorite book as someone else, you do feel, right off the bat, that there's something you have in common with that person.
You write about 2666 — "Bolaño's terrifying and gorgeous vulture of a novel keeps landing in the same place — Santa Teresa — but the arc of its flight reminds you that evil is like that: it touches down in one country this time, next year in another place." Would you prescribe this novel to people to gain some insight about current events?
Yes. For one thing, a great deal of it takes place on the U.S./Mexican border. I can't think of a more important place to think about now. So much of it is about the murders of these thousands of women on that border — women who came up through Central America, who were working in factories. It couldn't be more current or relevant. His desire to give names and histories and individual stories to these women who have become just numbers — it's fantastic.
How do you choose which contemporary books to read?
Whenever I can, I read the first two or three pages. Often it's just, do I like the way this is written? That usually has more of an effect on me than the plot or the subject or the theme. It's just: Do I like these sentences that are on the page?
You write about Mohsin Hamid's Exit West. That novel struck me as having a timeless quality as well as a timeliness, and an utter freshness. Would you place a bet on that novel to endure?
I think it's a terrific book. It addresses the global refugee crisis, but it's also beautifully written and so inventive. The characters are so engaging, and you're rooting for them hard as you're reading the book. It has everything you want from fiction.
You include an essay on the importance of clarity in writing, describing "paper-ese" — this language you only see in student papers. You cure the students of this by having them ask themselves, "Would I say this?" Have you noticed changes in student writing over the years, perhaps among the generation that grew up with text messaging, or is the paper-ese pretty consistent?
It differs from year to year so much. This past year, they could all write, and it was extraordinary how well they could write. [I asked them how they learned to write.] One of them said, "I wrote book reviews for Goodreads, and that was my way of publication when I was in high school, and I honed my style writing for this website." Some of them were from other countries, so they had a more stringent education. People say, 'Well, kids can't write anymore.' But it depends, because I was lucky enough to teach a dozen students who were unbelievably gifted.
It was just about clarity. That's what makes it fairly easy to help a student who is having trouble writing. You just say, what are you trying to say? They find a way of saying what they've been trying to say, which is not in paper-ese, that weird language they've been taught to write in.
In Rick Bass' new memoir The Traveling Feast, he observes that writers rarely retire. Do you plan to keep writing?
I can't imagine what else I would do. Yes, I plan to keep on writing. I have grandchildren, I have a garden, and I've always tried to have what you would call a life in addition to being a writer. But I'm writing all the time. It's hard work and etcetera, but it's a source of great happiness and satisfaction. Also, by now I've so internalized the guilt from not writing that I can't imagine how I would live with it if I stopped.
A lot of people, myself included, have said that the current political moment is making it harder to write. It's very distracting, and it's never seemed to me so hard to stop looking at my phone and go back to what I'm working on. But that's just the moment we live in.
Which of your novels would you most like to be remembered and reread the way that you have reflected on the books in What to Read and Why?
The most recent one of course, Mister Monkey. Writing that book was sort of like opening a vein. The review it got in the Sunday New York Times by Cathleen Schine was the best review I've ever gotten. It so got what I was trying to do. A number of people thought it was just this comedy. But I thought everything I know about human beings went into that book.
Jenny Shank's first novel, The Ringer, won the High Plains Book Award.
July 27, 2018
I think I like Prose' fiction better, but this is another gem like Reading Like A Writer. My favorite chapters were on Complimentary Toilet Paper, Lolita, and Mavis Gallant. I am reading all those authors now.
I like when she was able to related her own works like Blue Angel and A Changed Man to the other works and the writing process.
I like when she was able to related her own works like Blue Angel and A Changed Man to the other works and the writing process.
July 3, 2018
Has some really good essays but a lot of ones that don’t resonate at all if you haven’t read the book or even heard of it. The Nabokov essay is fascinating
August 14, 2018
Nothing new here. I thoroughly appreciated Reading like a Writer, and hoped this would be a great followup. This felt more like a a collection of synopses for an English 101 anthology. There were a few authors and books she discusses that piqued my interest, but for the most part, it was boring and felt like something I'd already read. I just couldn't stay focused or engaged.
January 22, 2023
Excellent companion for all book lovers, written with love, passion, and artistic skill.
As for what exactly read and why, there are some obvious choices, like Lolita. There are some I knew about, but now I'm nudged towards finally reading them. There are those that I found just ok in my previous readings, but after fresh insights offered here, I'm going to reconsider and give them another chance. And finally, there are those I never heard about, but for which author makes very convincing case. So convincing, in fact, my to-read list just got that bit longer, with priorities rearranged.
One of those is author's other book in the same vein I just found about.
As for what exactly read and why, there are some obvious choices, like Lolita. There are some I knew about, but now I'm nudged towards finally reading them. There are those that I found just ok in my previous readings, but after fresh insights offered here, I'm going to reconsider and give them another chance. And finally, there are those I never heard about, but for which author makes very convincing case. So convincing, in fact, my to-read list just got that bit longer, with priorities rearranged.
One of those is author's other book in the same vein I just found about.
August 20, 2018
Books about books are the best books!
January 4, 2019
What to Read and Why by Francine Prose works on many levels. For those books she discusses that a person has not read, her chapters offer insight and incisive commentary without ruining the joy of self-discovery if and when you do read the book. Prose has the ability to open doors and allow you to explore and consider ideas, but she does not demand you become an acolyte to her point of view. For the books you have read, you will find reasoned and interesting ideas to reflect upon should you ever read the book again.
Prose is a writer whose clarity is subtle, and yet ever-present. Her arguments are informed and examples from the novel being discussed are well chosen. She gives enough of a writer’s background and influences to shed light on their work, but never forces you to see a novel as a direct extension of the author’s life.
To read this book is to learn more about the books you have read; to read this book will also introduce you to novels you should read. Either way, and both ways, you should read this book.
Prose is a writer whose clarity is subtle, and yet ever-present. Her arguments are informed and examples from the novel being discussed are well chosen. She gives enough of a writer’s background and influences to shed light on their work, but never forces you to see a novel as a direct extension of the author’s life.
To read this book is to learn more about the books you have read; to read this book will also introduce you to novels you should read. Either way, and both ways, you should read this book.
January 24, 2020
Like having a personal literary expert giving you book suggestions. I won’t be reading all of the books, but I definitely added to my ‘want to read’ list. I also have a wider understanding of how many different ways there are to create a good novel or short story.
June 13, 2022
It's Francine Prose.
July 26, 2018
I confess I haven't finished this yet but was so entranced with the paper book I ordered it as an audiobook. She provides such interesting insight into many classic authors that it makes you want to read every one of them.
January 28, 2019
I'm enjoying reading this book slowly and not necessarily in order. Prose is such a good writer and reader that I have been going to the books she writes about and reading them as well. It will take me a long time to finish reading this book.
August 22, 2018
I was so excited when I heard Francine Prose had a new book releasing this year. I loved her book Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them so much that I bought a copy for my home library. This wasn't quite as good, but I enjoyed her insight on some of the authors. My favorite chapters were the ones on Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, and I took a lot of notes from those chapters.
Aspiring writers will find this book helpful, especially if you enjoy reading books that give you insight on famous writers and their writing styles. The next time I read a Dickens or Austen novel, I'll be looking at their writing with a closer eye and with my notes in hand.
Aspiring writers will find this book helpful, especially if you enjoy reading books that give you insight on famous writers and their writing styles. The next time I read a Dickens or Austen novel, I'll be looking at their writing with a closer eye and with my notes in hand.
September 3, 2018
Francine Prose's collection of essays What to Read and Why brings her insightfulness and her perfectly tuned ear for prose to bear on thirtyish incredibly diverse authors and books. I was drawn in when I noticed that I had read about a third of the authors or books addressed, as I could see where our experiences of some of these great books (Middlemarch, 2666, Lolita) aligned or diverged. She could be one of my book people. Periodically we find these fellow readers whose experience of works of literature parallel our own, with the divergences inspiring us to deeper understanding and appreciation.
Francine, well done. My understanding of what makes Karl Ove Knausgaard so compelling has been enhanced by your insight, and I can't wait to dig into the Patrick Melrose novels or Exit West.
Francine, well done. My understanding of what makes Karl Ove Knausgaard so compelling has been enhanced by your insight, and I can't wait to dig into the Patrick Melrose novels or Exit West.
July 3, 2018
As far as I am concerned, very few thing are better than books about books, mostly because if you know th title you are going to learn something more about it, if you don't, you have a new book for your to read list. In this case there are many authors I didn't know and the other were mostly the one I like already so it was a real pleasure.
Per quanto mi riguarda, poche cose sono belle come i libri che parlano di libri, sia perché se giá li consoci, vieni comunque a scoprire cose nuove su di loro, e se non li conosci quanto meno la lista dei libri da leggere si allunga. In questo caso ce n'erano parecchi i cui autori mi erano sconosciuti, e tra quelli conosciuti c'erano alcuni trai miei libri preferiti, quindi una win/win situation.
THANKS EDELWEISS FOR THE PREVIEW!
Per quanto mi riguarda, poche cose sono belle come i libri che parlano di libri, sia perché se giá li consoci, vieni comunque a scoprire cose nuove su di loro, e se non li conosci quanto meno la lista dei libri da leggere si allunga. In questo caso ce n'erano parecchi i cui autori mi erano sconosciuti, e tra quelli conosciuti c'erano alcuni trai miei libri preferiti, quindi una win/win situation.
THANKS EDELWEISS FOR THE PREVIEW!
August 23, 2018
This book was not what I expected and was a hard read for me. I kept putting the book down, but I hung in there. By persevering through the prose I came across some glittering ideas. I am glad I hung in there.
September 23, 2018
Usually when I read books on books, I wind up adding to my list of stuff to read. For a book that tells us what to read and why, I wasn't getting any compelling "why" reasons for the books I haven't yet read. A solid "meh".
June 1, 2018
The concept is very promising, so I was excited about the book. To me it read like required reading in school though.
July 15, 2021
Love a good collection of essays. These reminded me to start listening to the Backlisted podcast again, and resume my Knausgaard.
July 3, 2019
From the bestselling author of Reading Like A Writer comes another one with a pleasantly authoritative tone that sounds like the narrator really likes to talk about reading and writing. If you like to read about reading and writing, this one's for you. If you don't, you might, after reading this.
This book does what all good books do that are written like it's narrated. In fact, this one is a collection of essays already published--which, I suspect, were also given as speeches first. Freelance writers know very well how to squeeze everything they write to the last drop--and they have to, to make something that closely resembles a living. Prose--an apt name for a writer and for a writer about writers and writing--also teaches at conferences, and instructs at colleges, and has published over 20 books of fiction. She's the kind of writer you want to sit down and say, "Tell me exactly how you do it all. Start from when you wake up in the morning. What time is it?" I want to do what she does, and I feel I can, but I have nowhere near the time-management skills or the confidence to do it. One thing you learn here, as I already knew, but it's nice to be reminded, is that good freelance writers can--and do--write about anything.
So here you'll see reviews/essays/chapters/narration (whatever they are and originally were) about specific novels and short stories you should read (and why, hence the title), and about the novelists and short story writers you should also get to know. And like all experts and passionistas in their field, you'll know more about these guys, in prose that does not sound like it's veering off point, though it probably is. So you'll learn things about: Diane Arbus, who calmly committed suicide when her husband left for a few days, so she wouldn't be found or stopped by anyone; Mary Shelley, who was 18 when she wrote Frankenstein, and a little younger when she eloped with a bohemian group that would've made freelovers in the 60s spit out their coffee in alarm; Charles Dickens, who very publicly divorced his wife of over 30 years and shacked up with an actress of about 25; George Eliot; Jane Austen; Roberto Bolano; Karl Ove Knausgaard, who wrote a series of memoirs--together titled My Struggle, purposely stealing from Hitler--so specific that his relatives and friends complained and, at times, sued him; Jennifer Egan; Mavis Gallant; Mark Strand and many others.
You'll want to read what she says you'll want to read. I bought the first of Ove's books so far. You'll want to read more about the authors, too, which she obviously has, and I'm not just talking Wikipedia, either, which is what you and I would do. It is obvious that she loves to read, in general.
There are also enlightening and entertaining chapters about how to read, how to write and exactly what a short story is. One piece of advice, which you'd know I need if you've read my reviews, is that it is easier to write concise short sentences than it is to write concise long ones. "No shit," you might say, and of course this is obvious advice. And yet, looking over some of my stories that haven't sold...Time for some hatchet jobs. You'll also read about how she gave a reading at Stanley Elkin's funeral, and why she chose to read a passage from one of his stories about a man, stuck in a zoo with a bear, who fucked the bear (yes) and essentially fell in love with the bear. She read this at his service because Elkin was known for his unabashed literary ballsiness, so it was oddly, if not blasphemously, appropriate, but also because it was amongst the most timid things of his she could find. Now, doesn't that make you want to read Elkin, at least a little bit? If your writing is too passive, I suggest you give him a try.
So this book is highly recommended, if for no other reason than because it is glorious to hear someone speak (for that's what this reads like) about something the writer is very passionate, and very knowledgeable, about. She dispenses the knowledge and opinion in a freewheeling arc, and she doesn't sound like she's talking down to the reader, or that you are lucky to be listening to her. Though, of course, you are.
I liked this book so much I bought it before I returned the library's copy. You may do the same.
This book does what all good books do that are written like it's narrated. In fact, this one is a collection of essays already published--which, I suspect, were also given as speeches first. Freelance writers know very well how to squeeze everything they write to the last drop--and they have to, to make something that closely resembles a living. Prose--an apt name for a writer and for a writer about writers and writing--also teaches at conferences, and instructs at colleges, and has published over 20 books of fiction. She's the kind of writer you want to sit down and say, "Tell me exactly how you do it all. Start from when you wake up in the morning. What time is it?" I want to do what she does, and I feel I can, but I have nowhere near the time-management skills or the confidence to do it. One thing you learn here, as I already knew, but it's nice to be reminded, is that good freelance writers can--and do--write about anything.
So here you'll see reviews/essays/chapters/narration (whatever they are and originally were) about specific novels and short stories you should read (and why, hence the title), and about the novelists and short story writers you should also get to know. And like all experts and passionistas in their field, you'll know more about these guys, in prose that does not sound like it's veering off point, though it probably is. So you'll learn things about: Diane Arbus, who calmly committed suicide when her husband left for a few days, so she wouldn't be found or stopped by anyone; Mary Shelley, who was 18 when she wrote Frankenstein, and a little younger when she eloped with a bohemian group that would've made freelovers in the 60s spit out their coffee in alarm; Charles Dickens, who very publicly divorced his wife of over 30 years and shacked up with an actress of about 25; George Eliot; Jane Austen; Roberto Bolano; Karl Ove Knausgaard, who wrote a series of memoirs--together titled My Struggle, purposely stealing from Hitler--so specific that his relatives and friends complained and, at times, sued him; Jennifer Egan; Mavis Gallant; Mark Strand and many others.
You'll want to read what she says you'll want to read. I bought the first of Ove's books so far. You'll want to read more about the authors, too, which she obviously has, and I'm not just talking Wikipedia, either, which is what you and I would do. It is obvious that she loves to read, in general.
There are also enlightening and entertaining chapters about how to read, how to write and exactly what a short story is. One piece of advice, which you'd know I need if you've read my reviews, is that it is easier to write concise short sentences than it is to write concise long ones. "No shit," you might say, and of course this is obvious advice. And yet, looking over some of my stories that haven't sold...Time for some hatchet jobs. You'll also read about how she gave a reading at Stanley Elkin's funeral, and why she chose to read a passage from one of his stories about a man, stuck in a zoo with a bear, who fucked the bear (yes) and essentially fell in love with the bear. She read this at his service because Elkin was known for his unabashed literary ballsiness, so it was oddly, if not blasphemously, appropriate, but also because it was amongst the most timid things of his she could find. Now, doesn't that make you want to read Elkin, at least a little bit? If your writing is too passive, I suggest you give him a try.
So this book is highly recommended, if for no other reason than because it is glorious to hear someone speak (for that's what this reads like) about something the writer is very passionate, and very knowledgeable, about. She dispenses the knowledge and opinion in a freewheeling arc, and she doesn't sound like she's talking down to the reader, or that you are lucky to be listening to her. Though, of course, you are.
I liked this book so much I bought it before I returned the library's copy. You may do the same.
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