The Writing of Fiction (1925) is an examination of modern fiction writing from the grande dame of twentieth-century American literature. In a series of essays originally published in Scribner's Magazine, Edith Wharton makes a case for what turns mere writing into art. She devotes a chapter each to composing the short story and the novel before embarking upon an exploration of character and situation in the novel. The volume concludes with an additional essay devoted entirely to an examination of Marcel Proust.
When Edith Wharton wrote this slim volume on the art of fiction, she was at the height of her critical fame. She had received the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1921 (the first woman to be honored) and an honorary degree from Yale University in 1923. The year following its publication, she was elected to membership in the National Institute of Arts and Letters.
This edition of The Writing of Fiction, published by Scruffy City Press, LLC, meets WCAG 2.0 AA standards for accessibility and has been professionally edited and compared to the original 1925 publication to ensure accuracy.
Edith Wharton on the Art of Fiction
"Modern fiction really began when the 'action' of the novel was transferred from the street to the soul."
"A good subject, then, must contain in itself something that sheds a light on our moral experience. If it is incapable of this expansion, this vital radiation, it remains, however showy a surface it presents, a mere irrelevant happening, a meaningless scrap of fact torn out of its context."
"One of the chief obligations, in a short story, is to give the reader an immediate sense of security. Every phrase should be a sign-post, and never (unless intentionally) a misleading one."
"It is one of the most insidious temptations to the young artist to go on doing what he already knows how to do, and knows he will be praised for doing."
"It was one of the distinctive characters of Proust's genius that he combined with his great sweep of vision an exquisite delicacy of touch, a solicitous passion for detail."
The Writing of Fiction (1925) is an examination of modern fiction writing from the grande dame of twentieth-century American literature. In a series of essays originally published in Scribner's Magazine, Edith Wharton makes a case for what turns mere writing into art. She devotes a chapter each to composing the short story and the novel before embarking upon an exploration of character and situation in the novel. The volume concludes with an additional essay devoted entirely to an examination of Marcel Proust.
When Edith Wharton wrote this slim volume on the art of fiction, she was at the height of her critical fame. She had received the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1921 (the first woman to be honored) and an honorary degree from Yale University in 1923. The year following its publication, she was elected to membership in the National Institute of Arts and Letters.
This edition of The Writing of Fiction, published by Scruffy City Press, LLC, meets WCAG 2.0 AA standards for accessibility and has been professionally edited and compared to the original 1925 publication to ensure accuracy.
Edith Wharton on the Art of Fiction
"Modern fiction really began when the 'action' of the novel was transferred from the street to the soul."
"A good subject, then, must contain in itself something that sheds a light on our moral experience. If it is incapable of this expansion, this vital radiation, it remains, however showy a surface it presents, a mere irrelevant happening, a meaningless scrap of fact torn out of its context."
"One of the chief obligations, in a short story, is to give the reader an immediate sense of security. Every phrase should be a sign-post, and never (unless intentionally) a misleading one."
"It is one of the most insidious temptations to the young artist to go on doing what he already knows how to do, and knows he will be praised for doing."
"It was one of the distinctive characters of Proust's genius that he combined with his great sweep of vision an exquisite delicacy of touch, a solicitous passion for detail."
The Writing of Fiction
The Writing of Fiction
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940162621942 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Scruffy City Press, LLC |
| Publication date: | 01/15/2021 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 6 MB |
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