This Paperback Book item from Vintage was reviewed on 15-Oct-2008.
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1) Paperback Book The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by Vintage. This is one of those books that I liked because of its digressions, rather than in spite of them. Gardner has a formidable voice, and the occasionally wandering structure is bound together by the strictness of his tone. As I read, I could imagine him sitting in front of me-- rubbing his hands and paging through his notes as he spoke. I have the distinct feeling that he would not quite have approved of me.
Or most people for that matter. Somewhere amidst all the detail about writing, there are some strong and buried core messages. These center on the morality, courage and honesty of the aspiring writer. Gardner insists on head, heart and something else as well. He calls it soul; I am not sure what I call it. Will? Discipline? Ethics? Something like that.
I found a lot to chew over in the work. Some thoughts that I´m still considering:
nature of metafiction
role of honesty in fiction
faults of the soul: sentimentality, frigidity and mannerism
In addition, there are a number of useful points on technique and style that caused me to take some notes and ruefully reread more than a few paragraphs. I have to agree with most of these things without reservation. On the larger subjects, I still have some doubts about a few of his ideas-- particularly the places where he takes a harder line.
If you are planning to read this book, be aware that Gardner uses examples from literature and the visual arts to illustrate a number of his points. You either need to be reasonably well-read or be willing to read over these moments and trust to the text itself. I found that I got enough from the examples to see his point. I also added a number of books/authors to my reading list for further reference. I can imagine, however, if you have not read a lot of novels or short stories than it may feel frustrating to keep reading references that you do not understand. The average English Lit major or aficionado should do just fine.
Recommended.¤ 2) Paperback Book The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by Vintage. John Gardner let´s you know in his preface that he is writing this book for the serious writer (who he defines as the literary writer), so my fellow sci fi and fantasy writers (genre), we are not his target audience. However, that does not mean we can not learn from him.
I do not recommend this to the writer who is beginning their journey. By beginning, I mean who has never written a novel-length manuscript (unpublished of course) or at least a novella. I think Gardner presents too much detail and too much content, and at this point in your journey you will probably be overwhelmed. I simply refer to the other reviewer comments who provide suitable alternatives for an introductory to fiction writing.
I have rated this book as highly as I did because if you can wade through the loquacious prose, the elongated tangential didactics,--which by page 50 gets to be annoying--the obvious pedagogical diction and the references to Faulkner, Melville, Gaas, and plenty other writers whom I´ve not read (out of cognizant choice--though they are clearly renown for a reason) there is so much to learn from his book. (This paragraph was meant as an example--and I´m being generous).
Take heart, he does reference more "popular" fiction: Spider Man, early comic books, and Sam Delaney (although briefly), so it´s not a complete rebuff of fiction that sells.
Why I rec´d this book:
1) Because after writing a few manuscripts, I was able to see through Gardner´s examples some of the mistakes that I make in my writing--this enough is worth the price of the book in my opinion.
2) Also, because I have reinterpreted his "serious" writer to mean someone who is dedicated to improving their writing skills. Simply put. If you are serious, then you are willing--albeit begrudgingly--to come out of your comfort zone and learn even from those who have a tendency to look down their nose at you (at least it´s not in your face).
Examples of what I´ve learned:
1) Tales vs. Yarn vs. Realistic (and what voices are more commonly linked to each type of fictional story).
2) The importance of rhythm.
3) That a character´s internal obstacles must be as compelling as his external ones (might seem like a no-brainer, but I guess not for me).
4) The vocab list that you get from reading his writing.
Lastly, while yes you can get most of the above from some of the other books on writing, you won´t get the seriousness (dare I say abrasive truths) of what it means to be a writer and then what it takes to write well. This is not meant to be "inspiring" (so you won´t be uplifted and told repeatedly throughout that "yes, you can write that novel"); it is meant to be eye-opening.
¤ 3) Paperback Book The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by Vintage. After finishing this book, I had mixed feelings. I liked how it helped integrate three quality concepts into my writing (mentioned in title), but at the same time, I felt like Gardner´s audience was only white male MFA (masters of fine arts) students. I had only read about half the classic literature works used as references, and of those, I hated several (notably the works of Faulkner). Gardner mentions novels a modern editor would be horrified at as ´shining examples.´
"The Art of Fiction" succeeds in identifying helpful concepts not covered in my other books on writing, but it´s stuck in the past. Books written hundreds of years ago are overly idolized. Literature and writing have advanced since the works of Chaucer, Melville, and Tolstoy. Modern novels are better constructed and more readable than classic literature, and rather than explaining why this is, Gardner ignored this issue.
Overall, I found half the book useful, and it should NOT be relied upon as an accurate compass to novel writing. If read in conjunction with other writing books, it can be helpful. Don´t expect an instant revelation from this dense book; give it a good skim and try a few examples exercises in the last section.¤ 4) Paperback Book The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by Vintage. In my opinion, The Art of Fiction is both a stellar example of good writing and a highly encouraging tome on the art of fiction. Gardner´s language usage and word flow is worth the cost of it alone.
In reading it, you recognize it is more of a philosophical look at the art of writing than it is a nuts-and-bolts piece on the craft of writing. This book does not delve into as many ABC´s or 1-2-3´s as other how-to books concerning fiction writing. It aspires more to the abstract process of story within the artist, rather than a point-by-point discourse on writing methodology.
Gardner advocates that quality fiction is as smooth and real as a dream and is built upon use of vivid details and believable charaterization, and that it must be completely void of the author´s involvement of ego (strange twists, intrusive vocabulary, etc.) I found particularly helpful the theme of "fiction as a dream." He argues that in a modern novel, the author´s presence must not intrude into the storyline itself.
The subtitle of the book, ´Notes on Craft for Young Writers,´ leaves out an older audience that stands to gain just as much or more. My father was in his sixties when he first read this book. I read it for the first time in my mid-forties. Writers of all ages will stand to gain from reading this wonderful tome.
¤ 5) Paperback Book The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by Vintage. Got what I want in the condition I wanted when I expected. Good work.¤ 6) Paperback Book The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by Vintage. "John Gardner was famous for his generosity to young writers, and (this book) is his . . . gift to them. The Art of Fiction will fascinate anyone interested in how fiction gets put together. For the young writer, it will become a necessary handbook, a stern judge, an encouraging friend."--The New York Times Book Review.¤ Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 12-Nov-2008, 06797340319780679734031, 520-010-680-160-300-310-8 
The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers, Book, Image © Vintage
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