READING LIKE A WRITER by Francine Prose

THE GIST:

A novelist draws advice for aspiring writers from the works of established writers.

THE VERDICT:

This is a thoughtful and detailed guide, written in an academic but thorough style. Each chapter methodically addresses a specific aspect of writing from word choice and the art of a good sentence all the way to dialogue, details and gesture. Francine Prose quotes example after example of writers who excel at some aspect of their craft, from Philip Roth's sentences to Nabokov's characters. 

The take-home message of this book is that if you want to write well you must read good writing. The author goes above and beyond this familiar refrain by dissecting the work of great writers and telling you exactly why each passage, conversation, or sentence is so effective. She also offers counter-examples, usually passages she created specifically to demonstrate her points. She reminds you that there are exceptions to literally every rule in the book; you just need to know how to use them.

Although this book isn't as pithy and inspiring as Stephen King's ON WRITING, it is a useful tool for careful readers who want to become effective writers. It is like the prose workshop to King's survey course. Hopefully after reading this book you will be more acutely aware of the specific genius of certain writers. If nothing else, it will help you pay attention to the essential nuts and bolts of compelling writing.

THE LINK:

On Francine Prose

THE COST:

I received this book as a birthday gift from my mom several years ago.

THE QUESTION:

What books have inspired your writing? Who would be on your must-read list for budding authors?

Bookspotting: Week 15

Most of the books I spotted this week were written in Chinese. I think I saw five, including one graphic novel. I saw two tourists with Hong Kong guidebooks near the Central Pier. I saw a woman with a Lonely Planet guidebook for Lisbon on the MTR. I spent a fair amount of time in coffee shops this weekend, but most of the people I saw there were working and socializing, not reading. 

In other news, I've been working on a new feature for the blog that I'll roll out on Wednesday. I hope you're excited.

So, what are people reading in your town this week?

THE HUNGER GAMES Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

THE GIST:

Colosseum-style games become all too real in a not-too-distant future society. 

THE VERDICT:

This series is a great example of a tale that brings together lots of familiar elements to create something new and riveting. Collins incorporates Roman history, Greek mythology, and the dystopian literary tradition in this exciting and thought-provoking story. The three books, THE HUNGER GAMES, CATCHING FIRE, and MOCKINGJAY should be read together, but each one contains a satisfying story arc of its own. I'm not a big YA reader, but these three books are fun reads that offer more than enough substance.

I really appreciated the main character Katniss. She is much more than the typical "strong female lead." She is a complicated mix of vulnerability, reserve, coldness, violence, compassion and power. She is everything from a hero to a style icon to a propaganda lynchpin. There are aspects of her personality that just aren't that nice, and her flaws are complex and believable. She forces the reader to confront the circumstances that forged her into a person who will do just about anything to survive, and will do even more than that to protect the few people that she loves.

Collins explores the effects of violence, loss and desperation on very young characters. All the books have high body counts, and Collins does not shy away from showing the ugly side of exciting battles and of victory. Revenge, suicide, and sacrifice are important themes, adding depth to the fast-paced story. For the most part, Collins does not go for the easy resolution. There is always a loose end or two, and "happily ever after" becomes a painful process in her hands.

THE LINK:

The website of Suzanne Collins

THE COST:

THE HUNGER GAMES: $5 for the Kindle edition

CATCHING FIRE: $8 for the Kindle edition

MOCKINGJAY: $6 for the Kindle edition

THE QUESTION:

To what extent do you think children can or should be protected from violence and its effects? When should they be exposed to the realities of a world that can be very ugly?

Bookspotting: Week 14

I had an extraordinarily busy week in Arizona as we prepared for my sister's beautiful backyard wedding. The only people who really had time to read were my grandparents. My grandma is reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time, and my grandpa always has some history book or another in hand, usually about World War II. I met up with a friend who showed me her copy of Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose. I remembered that I own (but haven't finished) this book and found it in my parent's house before I left for Hong Kong.

At Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix I saw a woman carrying Bossypants by Tina Fey and a man carrying It's Your Ship by Michael Abrashoff. I saw a young woman reading a brand new copy of Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin and another young woman with what looked like an Alexander McCall Smith book. A man came off a plane from Dallas carrying many leather bound books under his arm. Two men sitting behind me on the plane were reading a book by George R. R. Martin and another whose title ended in "of the gods."

During my layover in Los Angeles I was distracted from bookspotting by the news of Osama bin Laden's death. By the time I got to Hong Kong the news had hit the papers, so that's what people were reading on my commute to work, too. The woman sitting beside me for the 14 hour flight was reading Ken Follett's World Without End. I was finishing up the last book in The Hunger Games trilogy, which I'll review tomorrow. I spotted two Kindles and a Sony eReader in transit.

What are people reading in your town, trains or planes this week?

Bookspotting: Week 13

This week I flew from Hong Kong to Phoenix, Arizona for my sister's wedding. Most of my bookspotting this week happened in the airport and in the air. The man sitting next to me on the plane from Hong Kong to Los Angeles was reading Towers of Midnight, the most recent installment in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. I had a long layover in LA, where I spotted a woman carrying a novel by Sandra Brown, a man carrying a novel by Nick Hornby, and someone else carrying a book called Monsoon by Wilbur Smith. I saw a woman reading Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler and I saw a Kindle in a nice red cover. I spent a good hour in the bookstore, and it was nice to see what is popular right now in the good ol' USA.

Next week's bookspotting post will fill you in on what people are reading in sunny Arizona. What are people reading in your town this week?

THE TIME MACHINE by H.G. Wells

THE GIST:

A man travels through time in a machine.

THE VERDICT:

Wells' novella explores the brief, but extraordinary journey of an unnamed man more than 800,000 years into the future. Unlike many time travel stories in which travelers encounter future humans with highly advanced technology and social problems, Wells brings his time traveler all the way to a point in time when the human species has split and evolved into new forms.

The Time Traveler expects to find a higher form of man, but he overshoots the mark and finds humankind in decline. He observes the weakness and desolation of civilization in its twilight years. His vision of the future is sobering and mildly disappointing. He tries to deduce the path that man took to reach this point, even as he struggles to preserve his own future.

This was the first time I've read this piece, although I was already familiar with the classic story. Wells' story is brief, but he raises interesting questions about the paths society could take in the coming millennia. Perhaps his most interesting observation is of the weakness that results when people are no longer challenged to survive in their daily lives.

THE LINK:

H.G. Wells society

THE COST:

Free Kindle edition. I recently went on a free books downloading binge, so expect more classics soon.

THE QUESTION:

Do you think Wells' vision of the future is plausible? Do you think humanity has passed its prime already?

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen

THE GIST:

A young man joins the circus and finds himself in a menagerie of trouble.

THE VERDICT:

This engaging story provides a unique snapshot of a fantastic and unusual sort of life. Gruen creates a singular portrait of the secret world of a traveling circus, but also of Depression-era American life. It's a romantic and desperate tale about what people do when they have nowhere else to go.

I was not quite as impressed with the book as I wanted to be after hearing so much about it, but I still enjoyed reading it. Some of the dialogue seemed loosely drawn and I wanted to see a bit more complexity in the characters. Rosie the elephant was the character who grew the most over the course of the book, and she was easily my favorite. I would have liked to hear more details about the performers and the working men and the book could easily have been a bit longer.

The story is framed by the recollections of a man in his 90s. This device allows the story to be sweet and sad as well as exciting and romantic. The depiction of Jacob as a very old man was very well done, and I was definitely rooting for him at the end. I would recommend this book as a flat out enjoyable read, even though it leaves you wanting more.

THE LINK:

Sara Gruen's website, including information about the upcoming film

THE COST:

Currently listed at $4.00 for the Kindle edition, though I think I paid $6.00 last week

THE QUESTION:

What are some other good stories that are told as memories and flashbacks? How does the frame affect your reading of the story?