The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers
The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers “John Gardner was famous for his generosity to young writers, and (this book) is his . . . gift to them. The Art of Fiction will fascinate anyone interested in how fiction gets put together. For the young writer, it will become a necessary handbook, a stern judge, an encouraging friend.”–The New York Times Book Review.
Customer Review: Vividness, Psychic Distance, and Word Rhythms
After finishing this book, I had mixed feelings. I liked how it helped integrate three quality concepts into my writing (mentioned in title), but at the same time, I felt like Gardner’s audience was only white male MFA (masters of fine arts) students. I had only read about half the classic literature works used as references, and of those, I hated several (notably the works of Faulkner). Gardner mentions novels a modern editor would be horrified at as ‘shining examples.’
“The Art of Fiction” succeeds in identifying helpful concepts not covered in my other books on writing, but it’s stuck in the past. Books written hundreds of years ago are overly idolized. Literature and writing have advanced since the works of Chaucer, Melville, and Tolstoy. Modern novels are better constructed and more readable than classic literature, and rather than explaining why this is, Gardner ignored this issue.
Overall, I found half the book useful, and it should NOT be relied upon as an accurate compass to novel writing. If read in conjunction with other writing books, it can be helpful. Don’t expect an instant revelation from this dense book; give it a good skim and try a few examples exercises in the last section.
Customer Review: A Brilliant Teacher
In my opinion, The Art of Fiction is both a stellar example of good writing and a highly encouraging tome on the art of fiction. Gardner’s language usage and word flow is worth the cost of it alone.
In reading it, you recognize it is more of a philosophical look at the art of writing than it is a nuts-and-bolts piece on the craft of writing. This book does not delve into as many ABC’s or 1-2-3′s as other how-to books concerning fiction writing. It aspires more to the abstract process of story within the artist, rather than a point-by-point discourse on writing methodology.
Gardner advocates that quality fiction is as smooth and real as a dream and is built upon use of vivid details and believable charaterization, and that it must be completely void of the author’s involvement of ego (strange twists, intrusive vocabulary, etc.) I found particularly helpful the theme of “fiction as a dream.” He argues that in a modern novel, the author’s presence must not intrude into the storyline itself.
The subtitle of the book, ‘Notes on Craft for Young Writers,’ leaves out an older audience that stands to gain just as much or more. My father was in his sixties when he first read this book. I read it for the first time in my mid-forties. Writers of all ages will stand to gain from reading this wonderful tome.
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