danielnewport's review against another edition
challenging
informative
fast-paced
4.0
This book provides a look into using mapmaking as a metaphor for writing. Similar to the process if making a map, you must understand the “path” youre going to take. You must understand the audience. You must provide enough information so as to accurately convey your ideas in a way that fits your needs. As the book points out, similar to how a subway map is not showing the exact path of the train, rather, what would be useful to the passenger. Overall, this book provides a good look into writing and the thinking that must be put into it, however, it did get a tad repetitive and seemed to be dragged on longer than necessary.
limdz's review against another edition
5.0
What a refreshing, imaginative book about writing and craft. So many craft books out there feel obvious or repetitive to me, so I really enjoyed Turchi's spin on things. The chapter "Rigorous Geometries" is extremely interesting...you don't find many craft books that attempt to merge the mathematical and the literary, and in this section Turchi's spatial approach to plot is particularly wonderful.
At times, Turchi struggles to connect certain the tropes of cartography to writing, but it hardly matters how well the ideas connect...the information about mapmaking and about writing are equally fascinating, and regardless of the strength of the connection between them, they are valuable and worth reading.
Aside from all of the great content, the book is beautiful and includes several old maps and interesting illustrations. Who doesn't like an intellectual PICTURE book, right?
Highly recommended!
At times, Turchi struggles to connect certain the tropes of cartography to writing, but it hardly matters how well the ideas connect...the information about mapmaking and about writing are equally fascinating, and regardless of the strength of the connection between them, they are valuable and worth reading.
Aside from all of the great content, the book is beautiful and includes several old maps and interesting illustrations. Who doesn't like an intellectual PICTURE book, right?
Highly recommended!
dorhastings's review against another edition
3.0
I'll start by saying I am not in the target audience for this book, and target audience is key for a book like this. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy the book, because I found myself highlighting quite a few passages in the book. And while I think the target audience for this book is fiction writers, there are certain elements of the book that I think other audience members can (and should) appreciate.
I received this book from my course coordinator (I teach an upper-division writing course [not an English class] at a California State University). I include specifications because the book doesn't at all link up with the work we do in the class. And if anything, this book would work best for a class that is focused on fiction writing. If I gave this book to my students (99% of whom are business students), my evaluations wouldn't be pretty. HOWEVER, I think this could be a great book for a graduate writing seminar in communication studies.
I'm actually quite glad I read it. I find the idea of critical cartography fascinating, and that's something that goes beyond a targeted audience. A good deal of this book deals with cartography with weavings of examples in literature (most of which, unfortunately, I'm unfamiliar with, so the implications are occasionally lost on me). There are chapters (particularly the final chapter) that are focused on writing and fictional world creation. These passages are easy to understand and apply; it's the passages about cartography that require a little more effort, but they're worthwhile.
I'm unsure to whom I would recommend this book, but it's absolutely worthwhile. The pictures are stunning. I sort of sped through the book, but I suspect I will get more out of the book by discussing a chapter a month with my colleagues.
I received this book from my course coordinator (I teach an upper-division writing course [not an English class] at a California State University). I include specifications because the book doesn't at all link up with the work we do in the class. And if anything, this book would work best for a class that is focused on fiction writing. If I gave this book to my students (99% of whom are business students), my evaluations wouldn't be pretty. HOWEVER, I think this could be a great book for a graduate writing seminar in communication studies.
I'm actually quite glad I read it. I find the idea of critical cartography fascinating, and that's something that goes beyond a targeted audience. A good deal of this book deals with cartography with weavings of examples in literature (most of which, unfortunately, I'm unfamiliar with, so the implications are occasionally lost on me). There are chapters (particularly the final chapter) that are focused on writing and fictional world creation. These passages are easy to understand and apply; it's the passages about cartography that require a little more effort, but they're worthwhile.
I'm unsure to whom I would recommend this book, but it's absolutely worthwhile. The pictures are stunning. I sort of sped through the book, but I suspect I will get more out of the book by discussing a chapter a month with my colleagues.
mparisinou's review against another edition
4.0
The writer as a cartographer - the subtitle of the book - is a good description of what it's about. It's beautifully written and shows how the map is a metaphor for the story. At points hard-going (particularly when referencing works that were not familiar to me) but full of gems. Eg, 'Like maps, fiction and poetry enable us to "see" what is literally too large for our vision.'
kdraw333's review against another edition
5.0
This book explores writing through the metaphor of map-making, with some history of cartography along the way. The writing is gentle and thoughtful. I really enjoyed it. The whole concept feels true to me and I found his discussion of story forms and the ways in which we invent the world around us very provocative.
edward_evjen's review against another edition
2.0
Started off great and devolved into paranoid obsession. The metaphor of a novel being like a map is profound. "To ask for a map is to say, 'Tell me a story.'" The first essay is great, and rest are artsy-fartsy bores with dashes of moralism to spoil the mix. Two moments stand out as annoying. He criticizes video games flippantly. This reeks of moralism and is not the scope of the book. I read fiction to find out what is. I don't care for emotions.* He also promotes scientism by criticizing the self-searching maps of medieval scholars. This not only is moralist, but undermines the best lesson this book has to offer. The lesson is, "There is no objective map of the world." and yet he charts medieval psychologists in the tropic of idiocy.
By this time in the book, the prose has devolved into fluff. It is a obsessed journal trying to find meaning in all overlaps between novels and maps but it doesn't mean anything to the audience because some areas of scholarship are just useless information. An analogy being, why memorize Magic The Gathering cards if you don't play the game?
I was introduced to a quote I like in this book from the Odyssey, Circe says, "once youre crew has rowed you past the Sirens, a choice of route is yours." Being familiar with Will Weston's teaching method, this maps on perfectly. I also liked the inclusion of orientation as deriving from the orient. (finding heaven "true north" in the horizon of sunrises.)
* Excepting in the case of interaction, and self understanding. Everything in it's place.
By this time in the book, the prose has devolved into fluff. It is a obsessed journal trying to find meaning in all overlaps between novels and maps but it doesn't mean anything to the audience because some areas of scholarship are just useless information. An analogy being, why memorize Magic The Gathering cards if you don't play the game?
I was introduced to a quote I like in this book from the Odyssey, Circe says, "once youre crew has rowed you past the Sirens, a choice of route is yours." Being familiar with Will Weston's teaching method, this maps on perfectly. I also liked the inclusion of orientation as deriving from the orient. (finding heaven "true north" in the horizon of sunrises.)
* Excepting in the case of interaction, and self understanding. Everything in it's place.
bonkstrats's review against another edition
4.0
Really interesting approach to writing, very helpful advice. Great interesting details interspersed about map making and geography in general made for a good read. If you want to be a better author, read this book!
sabine364's review against another edition
3.0
It was OK for a craft book. Found myself doing a bit of skimming but it has some decent points once you get through all the discussion of mapping.