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cyndrinajc's review against another edition
5.0
Such a great read! Yes some of the authors have contradicting advice, no not all of the passages are relatable, but thatâs what you get from anthologies! I stared all my favorite passages and probably only left 5 stars in the whole book but those five are what give this five stars. The rest of the passages are great but probably didnât resonate with me and there were only two that I wasnât fond of at all but overall, itâs a great read, itâs worth a read, and I guarantee at least one author in here will inspire you to immerse yourself in craft whether thatâs writing or otherwise.
dreaminginpastels's review against another edition
5.0
This is such a gloriously nerdy book. It marked my first foray into books of essays, and will likely remain my favourite. Every single essay opened up a world of perspectives and contained such beautifully eloquent and poetic writing that made me order my own copy almost instantly after borrowing it from the library because I just knew that this book would be special for me - I needed my own copy. Practically every page has multiple sticky notes for me to eventually highlight. I just cannot recommend this book enough, it truly lights even the darkest of days, and felt like home.
marthaos's review against another edition
4.0
This was a book that really interested me. Any book, film article etc that describes writersâ writing process is something that always fascinates me. Iâm curious about what inspires writers, where they get their encouragement and especially what helps them persevere. Iâm interested in their routine or lack of, what writers read, eat etc... This was a book that âgot meâ from the start.
Saying that,it is a book that one would find hard to read cover to cover. It is more of a coffee table, âdip-in-and-out-ofâ book. I did try to read it cover to cover, and succeeded by and large. It is rather one I would like to own, to refer to now and again, to open randomly for inspiration.
The chosen quote as chosen by each writer was nicely presented at the start of their essay, accompanied by a suitable illustration. This was a nice feature, simple and unassuming.
The two essays that stood out for me were those by Andre Dubus, who chose Bausch: âDo not think. Dreamâ; and Billy Collins who chose Yeatsâ âThe Lake Isle of Inishfreeâ. I chose each for different reasons. Dubus wrote a brilliant essay on his specific writing process. It was clear, honest and very useful to a would-be writer. He broke down his understanding of what good fiction writing is to bite-size chunks, bringing in extra quotes from others, such as Eudora Welty. He then builds gradually on this, describing how sometimes we need to âback the f*** offâ to discover where the story is leading us. Trusting the unconscious is key. I chose Billy Collins, because his was a beautiful reflection on the merits of learning poetry. He expresses his ideas so lyrically, the essay was a form of poetry in itself. I agree wholeheartedly with his points, learning poetry is an important, life-affirming pursuit, and ones choice of poetry tells a lot about a person. His specific choice, âLakeisle of Inishfreeâ speaks to a place of solitude in all of us where we find repose and solace, where our head and heart connect, our soul-space, which all writers and artists, or at least the good ones, must befriend.
There were many more essays, or ideas within essays that stay with me from this book. I am very glad I read it, and it is one I will buy. It deserves a place on my bookshelf.
Saying that,it is a book that one would find hard to read cover to cover. It is more of a coffee table, âdip-in-and-out-ofâ book. I did try to read it cover to cover, and succeeded by and large. It is rather one I would like to own, to refer to now and again, to open randomly for inspiration.
The chosen quote as chosen by each writer was nicely presented at the start of their essay, accompanied by a suitable illustration. This was a nice feature, simple and unassuming.
The two essays that stood out for me were those by Andre Dubus, who chose Bausch: âDo not think. Dreamâ; and Billy Collins who chose Yeatsâ âThe Lake Isle of Inishfreeâ. I chose each for different reasons. Dubus wrote a brilliant essay on his specific writing process. It was clear, honest and very useful to a would-be writer. He broke down his understanding of what good fiction writing is to bite-size chunks, bringing in extra quotes from others, such as Eudora Welty. He then builds gradually on this, describing how sometimes we need to âback the f*** offâ to discover where the story is leading us. Trusting the unconscious is key. I chose Billy Collins, because his was a beautiful reflection on the merits of learning poetry. He expresses his ideas so lyrically, the essay was a form of poetry in itself. I agree wholeheartedly with his points, learning poetry is an important, life-affirming pursuit, and ones choice of poetry tells a lot about a person. His specific choice, âLakeisle of Inishfreeâ speaks to a place of solitude in all of us where we find repose and solace, where our head and heart connect, our soul-space, which all writers and artists, or at least the good ones, must befriend.
There were many more essays, or ideas within essays that stay with me from this book. I am very glad I read it, and it is one I will buy. It deserves a place on my bookshelf.
kjboldon's review against another edition
5.0
An exception, an anthology from a writing column in The Atlantic, that's full of gems and light on misses. Authors are asked for a formative text and advice on creativity. As with many anthologies, it's perhaps the writers I knew less well (eg Eileen Myles) who delighted most. And some well known names (eg TC Boyle) that disappointed. An excellent daily read for writers and readers.
dylanperry's review against another edition
3.0
 Reread: October 2023
I want to give this a higher rating for the essays in here that have stuck with me these last four years. But I can't. The number of essays that worked (for me) and the ones I found uninspiring/DNF'd are 3-to-1 at least. I will, however, fully recommend this to anyone who wants to read what popular authors think about books that inspired them, and the act of creation. It's a good book to have on the bedside table and pick up here and there when the mood strikes. And, like me, maybe you'll find a handful of favorite essays to hold close to your heart.
Original Review: January 2019
I come away having read some great essays, some bland ones, and may have (I definitely) skipped a couple. Now I'm going into 2019 with new authors to check out, and if that isn't a great way to kick things off, then I don't know what is. 3.5/5
I want to give this a higher rating for the essays in here that have stuck with me these last four years. But I can't. The number of essays that worked (for me) and the ones I found uninspiring/DNF'd are 3-to-1 at least. I will, however, fully recommend this to anyone who wants to read what popular authors think about books that inspired them, and the act of creation. It's a good book to have on the bedside table and pick up here and there when the mood strikes. And, like me, maybe you'll find a handful of favorite essays to hold close to your heart.
Original Review: January 2019
I come away having read some great essays, some bland ones, and may have (I definitely) skipped a couple. Now I'm going into 2019 with new authors to check out, and if that isn't a great way to kick things off, then I don't know what is. 3.5/5
perseyfriend's review against another edition
The Alexie and Danticat essays were my favorite. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would!
sshabein's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Did this really only come out 5 years ago? 2017 is a whole other universe away, isn't it? Anyway, I bought this a long time ago when the ebook was on sale, but I'm only just now getting to it. A few of the authors, I don't care for as people (and one, I hated one of his books so much that I contemplated skipping his essay), but I read every one. And what do you know, those essays were among the weaker ones in the book!
Other than those exceptions, this is a really good look at what other works have inspired a lot of really great writers, and they have plenty of interesting and useful things to say.
Other than those exceptions, this is a really good look at what other works have inspired a lot of really great writers, and they have plenty of interesting and useful things to say.
sawyerbell's review against another edition
3.0
5 stars for Neil Gaiman's essay; 2-4 stars for everyone else.
rissawriting's review against another edition
4.0
Writing advice's older, wiser sister: experience and appreciation.