This book is different from any “how-to” book on
writing fiction. Instead of a nuts-and-bolts approach, it sets before the reader a
collection of
stories that work. Divided into four parts, the book begins with an Introduction, where Adams and Hartman explain that the book is intended to show “decisions which the author has had to make”, giving the careful reader/writer a feast of
literary technique and nuance. Except for a few lines in the introduction, the authors leave readers alone with the work.
The first section, “Voice”, includes stories by Oakley Hall, Virginia Woolf, and Harold Eastman. The second section is about “Movement”, or the way the plot proceeds. It includes stories by R.V. Cassill and Stanley Elkin. The third section, “Statement”, is concerned with “what the
story would say if it were an essay”. It includes stories by George P. Elliott and Robert Bassing. The fourth and final section, “Word” takes two translations of Anton Chekhov’s story, “The Kiss”, and prints them side by side so the reader can compare. Each section also has stories by authors not listed here.
For variety and excellence (with the occasional story put in to show how writing doesn’t always succeed), this is my first recommendation. Almost all the stories were written after 1945 and are enjoyable and technically accomplished. The short story authors were mostly unknown to me, but after reading them in this book, I have been inspired to track down their other writings.
This would be a great gift for a writer or anyone who loves to read.
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