How Fiction Works
by James Wood
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Book Summary Information
Author: James WoodEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-07-22
ISBN: 0374173400
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Book Reviews of How Fiction Works
Book Review: How Fiction Used to Work
Summary: 3 Stars
I come to James Wood's work of literary criticism with a keen interest in literature and an open mind. I must say that I was not overly impressed. Wood covers many aspects of fiction: character, dialogue, but in an oddly old-fashioned way. It seems that he is unable to decide whether he wishes to talk about Victorian fiction or works of Modernism or Post-Modernism. His continued use of the pronoun "we" - as in "we can see that ..." or "we know that ..." seems strange, as if Wood is assuming that everyone agrees already with what he is saying, a very dangerous assumption to make.
Clearly, the book is intended for the academic student of literature, and the keen reader. Unfortunately, I am sorry to say that I cannot recommend this book to either group.
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