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The Writing of Fiction

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( 464 ratings, 74 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Writing of Fiction offers a rare glimpse into the mind of Edith Wharton, the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize, as she explores the arts of writing and reading. Drawing on her experience with novels like The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth, Wharton shares timeless advice on character development, the art of the short story, and novel construction. This work stands as both a practical guide and a reflective meditation from a masterful practitioner on the craft of fiction.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$4599

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for aspiring writers, students of literature, and readers interested in the craft of fiction and the insights of a highly influential American novelist.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Out of print for many years, this new issue of "The Writing of Fiction"--Edith Wharton's candid, incisive work on constructing a short story and a novel--is a perennial favorite among Wharton aficionados, and a well-hidden secret and guide among many fiction writers.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A rare work of nonfiction from Edith Wharton, The Writing of Fiction contains timeless advice on writing and reading well from the first woman ever to win a Pulitzer Prize—now with a new introduction by Brandon Taylor.

In 1921, Edith Wharton won a Pulitzer Prize for her first novel, The Age of Innocence. Over the course of her career, she would continue to produce beloved, bestselling work—from The House of Mirth to The Custom of the Country—and gained a reputation for her incisive critiques of her upper-class social circle. To each new generation of readers, her work remains fresh, formally remarkable, and endlessly entertaining.

The Writing of Fiction is a window into Wharton’s mind as she ponders the intertwined arts of writing and reading. Wharton provides invaluable insight on the subjects of character, the challenge of finely-tuned short stories, the construction of a novel, and more. Beyond a treatise on craft, The Writing of Fiction is a sweeping meditation by a masterful practitioner and a rare chance to experience the inimitable voice of one of America’s most influential novelists.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Gore Vidal called Wharton "one of the few major American novelists," while Roxane Gay praised her "incisive indictments of the wealthy class." The Millions lauded Wharton as a "disdainful, imperious, brilliant foremother."

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780684845319

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 08 October 1997

Country: United States

Imprint: Pocket Books

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 214.0mm

Weight: 125g

Pages: 128

About the Author

Edith Wharton (1862–1937) was an American novelist—the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Age of Innocence in 1921—as well as a short story writer, playwright, designer, reporter, and poet. Her other works include Ethan Frome, The House of Mirth, and Roman Fever and Other Stories. Born into one of New York’s elite families, she drew upon her knowledge of upper-class aristocracy to realistically portray the lives and morals of the Gilded Age.

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