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sonnyygrayy's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
i had to read this for school but i’m glad chopan assigned it! gardner had some good points this time around and i hope to teach this text in the future as a professor
whatsmacksaid's review against another edition
4.0
This had the *longest* sentences. It's a rolling, conversational read from one of the greats. The book is ostensibly geared toward newer writers, but frankly I think it would have been a bit much if I'd read it at that stage. As it is, I enjoyed the reading quite a bit--particularly the last chapter, titled "Faith"--and recommend it to writers at pretty much any stage of their abilities or career.
It's a shame Gardner is no longer with us. He's vastly opinionated in this book, and I kept wondering what he'd have to say about the pandemic.
It's a shame Gardner is no longer with us. He's vastly opinionated in this book, and I kept wondering what he'd have to say about the pandemic.
showell's review against another edition
4.0
I very much enjoyed this book. And found it quite encouraging. Many books on writing have the ironic effect of making me never want to write again (which is why I avoid them in general unless I have a specific question on craft). This one didn't. I do wish, though, that he used more women writers in his examples. Women don't show up at all in his lists of folks to read/emulate until at least one third of the way into the book, and even then there are only a couple of them, while men are everywhere. This, paired with his use of "he", which he feels self conscious enough about to explicitly justify, made me wonder if he thought women could write at all.
stellarsphyr's review against another edition
4.0
Inspiring, motivating, practical, and so many other adjectives. When working at being a writer gets you down, Gardner is there to pick you up...or push you towards something you may be better at than writing.
saralynnburnett's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely worth reading and an interesting perspective from a prolific writer. Main takeaways:
- all workshops and classes are not created equal and some may be more damaging than helpful
- persistence is key.
“Novelists are the plodding workhorses of the writing world.”
Sounds about right!
- all workshops and classes are not created equal and some may be more damaging than helpful
- persistence is key.
“Novelists are the plodding workhorses of the writing world.”
Sounds about right!
thebeardedpoet's review against another edition
4.0
Gardner seems sincere here in his goal to explain what it takes to become a novelist who is also an artist. If you come to this book as an aspiring writer of entertainment, you will take quite a few lumps. For instance, Gardner says most science fiction is junk. He is after the artistic novel, written with challenging literary sentences and delving deep into characters who seem more real than life. He also doesn't pull any punches about how difficult, challenging, and nearly impossible it is to become such a novelist. He dishes it up straight, and some young novelists may despair reading his observations and advice. Yet all in all, I think he genuinely lays out the work and techniques necessary to master novel writing with the hope that his experience will benefit the next generation.
sarahreadsaverylot's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
nevinator's review against another edition
3.0
This is book is honest cause it challenges the reader- as a will be novelists- to a series of realities and trails, perfectly laid out to properly prepare any writer.
This book is also bias: John Gardner rambles too long about the field of the craft and why some writers aren’t real artists. He analysis’s is own writing style and the thought process, trying to show the process in real time for the reader but feels like sections of #humble brag. His high art ideas both help the reader upwards, and other times feels snobbish.
I appreciate the vision and scope this book has covered but can only recommend half of it half-heartly. It is a book that is worth investigating for any serious taker, as I have seen no author talk about writing so meticulously as this one, but always remember the worth of your own salt.
This book is also bias: John Gardner rambles too long about the field of the craft and why some writers aren’t real artists. He analysis’s is own writing style and the thought process, trying to show the process in real time for the reader but feels like sections of #humble brag. His high art ideas both help the reader upwards, and other times feels snobbish.
I appreciate the vision and scope this book has covered but can only recommend half of it half-heartly. It is a book that is worth investigating for any serious taker, as I have seen no author talk about writing so meticulously as this one, but always remember the worth of your own salt.