Reading like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them.

Prose, Francine (author).

A consummate novelist and critic, Prose is also a seasoned teacher who approaches the art of writing through the art of reading. By reading attentively and analytically, one acquires a wealth of literary knowledge through “some sort of osmosis,” observes Prose, who views novels and short stories as “wells of beauty and pleasure that were also textbooks, private lessons in the art of fiction.” Prose now shares the revelations she gleans from reading literature in a vibrant and pleasurable guide for aspiring writers and ardent readers curious about what makes a masterpiece. Prose always finds unexpected paths to surprising disclosures, and she is especially good company here as she imparts her deep appreciation for the crafting of superior sentences, effective paragraphs, arresting narrative voices, and riveting dialogue. Prose’s observations are incandescent, and her examples are thrilling, ranging from Samuel Johnson to Katherine Mansfield, Flannery O’Connor, Raymond Chandler, Stanley Elkin, and Paula Fox. Of course, we read for truths beyond technique, as Prose attests, describing literature as “an endless source of courage and confirmation.”