Reading Like a Writer

Francine Prose's Reading Like a Writer begins by making a case for close reading, explaining how she discovered its benefits through both writing and teaching. Subsequent chapters provide examples of the kinds of lessons writers might learn by reading, starting with "Words" and "Sentences" and continuing on to chapters such as "Character" and "Details." The book closes with a few essays, including the modest "Learning from Chekhov" and "Reading for Courage."

Reading Like a Writer teaches that writers must read not only for pleasure, but for "an eye and a memory for which author happens to do which thing particularly well," so that when faced with a particular problem, you'll know where to turn. "Let's say you are facing the challenges of populating a room with a large cast of characters all talking at once. Having read the ballroom scene in Anna Karenina, or the wild party that winds through so many pages of William Gaddis's The Recognitions, you have sources to which you can go not just for inspiration but for technical assistance."

As Prose notes, literature, as opposed to books on writing, has the advantage of showing writers what is possible rather than simply giving a list of rules. For instance, we all know the importance of using synonyms to prevent repetition, but by giving an example from Raymond Carver in which words are repeated for a specific purpose, she tells us that it's OK to break the rules and shows how that can be done effectively. (It is for this reason that I recommend this book for writing instructors.)

Finally, unlike many books on the subject, Prose backs up her arguments with her own flawless writing. In Reading Like a Writer, I always felt myself in the hands of an accomplished teacher, writer, and thinker: someone who not only urges us to take more time with words, but shows how this patience pays off in elegant, accessible prose.