★★★★★ 3
I Recommend It, But Not Much
Format: Paperback
This book is recommended in SELF-EDITING FOR THE FICTION WRITER, a book I have read twice and enjoyed a great deal. I had to give Gardner a try.
This is a tough review to write because I can't say this is a fantastic book to help one write fiction. At the same time, there is little or nothing said that I disagree with. So, what's the problem?
My confusion starts with my expectations when reading a book about writing. It's a situation where I want to gain information and hints on how to write better, without being bombarded by direction on how to write. This criteria has served me well and I've found a number of writing books that made me write or want to write better; SELF-EDITION FOR THE FICTION WRITER is one, THE FICTION WRITER'S WORKSHOP is another.
Judging by that, this book didn't pass muster. Rather than coming away with a new awareness of what I want to include or exclude from my own work, I'm left feeling like I've been having coffee with an experienced author full of sweeping opinions on craft.
He's crafty in one way, his ability to pull me in with the sense of being an insider, watching other fiction writers through thick glass. He uses a lot of lines like "The writer who can't distinguish truth from a peanut-butter sandwich can never write good fiction. What he affirms, we deny, throwing away his book in indignation..." The implication isn't about writers of bad fiction so much as it is about 'us', him and I, being partnered in our unique ability to indignantly recognize a lousy writer. In fact, we're pretty decent to only discard the book when we're entitled to exact creative justice on its sloppy author.
Still, and here's the rub, it isn't a bad read. Don't skip an hour of writing to sit down with this book but if you're between projects and have the time, I'd recommend it.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2010
