What to Read and Why, Francine Prose
What to Read and Why, Francine Prose
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What to Read and Why

Author: Francine Prose

Narrator: Allyson Johnson

Unabridged: 10 hr 13 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 07/03/2018


Synopsis

In this brilliant collection, the follow-up to her New York Times bestseller Reading Like a Writer, the distinguished novelist, literary critic, and essayist celebrates the pleasures of reading and pays homage to the works and writers she admires above all others, from Jane Austen and Charles Dickens to Jennifer Egan and Roberto Bolaño.In an age defined by hyper-connectivity and constant stimulation, Francine Prose makes a compelling case for the solitary act of reading and the great enjoyment it brings. Inspiring and illuminating, What to Read and Why includes selections culled from Prose’s previous essays, reviews, and introductions, combined with new, never-before-published pieces that focus on her favorite works of fiction and nonfiction, on works by masters of the short story, and even on books by photographers like Diane Arbus.Prose considers why the works of literary masters such as Mary Shelley, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, and Jane Austen have endured, and shares intriguing insights about modern authors whose words stimulate our minds and enlarge our lives, including Roberto Bolaño, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Jennifer Egan, and Mohsin Hamid. Prose implores us to read Mavis Gallant for her marvelously rich and compact sentences, and her meticulously rendered characters who reveal our flawed and complex human nature; Edward St. Aubyn for his elegance and sophisticated humor; and Mark Strand for his gift for depicting unlikely transformations. Here, too, are original pieces in which Prose explores the craft of writing: ""On Clarity"" and ""What Makes a Short Story.""Written with her sharp critical analysis, wit, and enthusiasm, What to Read and Why is a celebration of literature that will give readers a new appreciation for the power and beauty of the written word.

About Francine Prose

Francine Prose is the author of twenty-two works of fiction including the highly acclaimed The Vixen; Mister Monkey; the New York Times bestseller Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932; A Changed Man, which won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize; and Blue Angel, which was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her works of nonfiction include the highly praised 1974: A Person History, Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife, and the New York Times bestseller Reading Like a Writer, which has become a classic. The recipient of numerous grants and honors, including a Guggenheim and a Fulbright, a Director’s Fellow at the Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, Prose is a former president of PEN American Center, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at Bard College.


Reviews

Goodreads review by H.A. on July 10, 2020

A very enjoyable book about books and what makes them into classics or simply a great read!......more

Goodreads review by Liz on August 12, 2018

This is a random collection of essays on writers, books and various aspects of literature that lacks structure and cohesiveness. Prose offers no rationale for her selections and very little explanation as to why we should read them. I was very inspired by her previous book, Reading Like a Writer, bu......more

Goodreads review by Jasey on May 28, 2022

Pretty good essays on an assortment of different novels; makes me enthusiastic to read more stuff so thx Francine......more

Goodreads review by Kris (My Novelesque Life) on June 21, 2019

RATING: 4 STARS 2018; Harper/HarperCollins Canada I have had various books by Francine Prose on my tbr list for awhile. I didn't know if I should start with her fiction or nonfiction first. As the years would pass, and my list would get longer, I saw this new book and put in my request. The title is m......more

Goodreads review by Kate on November 27, 2020

I read this purely for recommendations! It did that job, I learned about lots of authors and got a fresh and positive perspective on several classics. I just wish Prose realized that by writing a review of an author or work, she was endorsing it for its quality. You wrote an essay on it and publishe......more