The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers

Gardner's ideas are important considerations for the beginning writer, and important refreshers for the established writer. If you want to learn how to write fiction, but only want to buy one book on how to write, this is the one.


Helpful   October 29, 1999
 25 out of 27 found this review helpful

This book explained to me why there are books I pick up and immediately put back down, why there are books I loose sleep just to read, and why there are books that I have to put down in order to think.

It's also the first book on writing I've ever read that explains (so I can understand) about texture, layering, symbols, integrating all that, and how to rewrite smoothly, and how to give a story more depth. I feel like I can write now, without feeling so lost.


Not for young writers   February 10, 2000
 24 out of 40 found this review helpful

This book contained some fascinating insights into the art of writing fiction, but frankly, I thought it was written very poorly(!). I did not flow at all and read much like some of the worst textbooks I've seen. He obviously has read a wide variety of books, but he assumes the reader is familiar with them.

I think this may be a good book for English majors or experienced writers, but not for young writers. For us young and inexperienced writers, he talks above our heads.

Even the style can scare a person away. He writes in the style of John Smith and others who could fit maybe one paragraph on a page. It's just not conducive to digesting the material.

In short, if you're a young writer, go trying "Writing Fiction Step By Step" by Josip Novakovich or something like that. But experienced writers, you may enjoy this.


Sensitivity, not simplification   June 5, 2000
 22 out of 23 found this review helpful

This is no easy read (especially for a non-native speaker like me), but it's worth the troubles. As some other reviewer mentioned the language doesn't really flow, but this in part due to the deepness of thought contained in each paragraph. You can't just scan this book in some hours (like other books on creative writing I've skimmed through); only by reading carefully and slowly (as I was obliged to by my lack of English fluency...) you will enjoy Gardner's artistic sensitivity. All right, he is a literary snob as someone wrote - but there are too many others who make art look like something that can easily be described with some simple recipes. Gardner's true love for literature shows in every sentence and it's probably exactly his meaning of literary "truth" that makes him difficult to read sometimes. Other books I've read on the topic left me with a feeling of oversimplification, of missing the point by showing just the surface of the literary process. "The art of fiction" provides what its title promisses: an inspiring introduction to the ART of WRITING. And this means that this is neither another book on the theory of literature nor some Reader's-Digest-like "How to write a novel in ten steps" but a book on the THEORY of WRITING. I do not know of any other book that shows the literary process in such a sensitive way. If you're offended by the word theory, know that the exercices at the end of the book are extremely helpful and intelligent. They shed light on practical AND conceptual problems (and possibilities!) you maybe wouldn't have thought of without doing them. Great book.


The Good Stuff is Buried in Wordy Prose   November 24, 2000
 22 out of 32 found this review helpful

I'm a journalist and writing teacher and do not think this book is very well-written or reader-friendly. It's dense, wordy, sometimes pompous and intimidating, too. At times, Gardner seems to be putting down young writers. I made myself read his book since I've been hearing that it's a classic for years. Finally, after three attempts, I got to some good stuff in it--i.e. don't put yourself between the reader and the story or say things like, 'Mary saw...'--just tell us what she saw and make it more direct. But there is far too much to wade through! I much prefer books like BIRD BY BIRD or IF YOU WANT TO WRITE for inspiration (they don't put you down)and SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS for craft (a gem of a book, beautifully written). If this book were not written by a noted novelist, I doubt that it would have been published without substantial editing. I think it's more disheartening than encouraging of young writers and writers in general.