Read Like A Writer

There are two ways to learn how to write fiction: by reading it and by writing it. Yes, you can learn lots about writing stories in workshops, in writing classes and writing groups, at writers' conferences. You can learn technique and process by reading the dozens of books like this one on fiction writing and by reading articles in writers' magazines. But the best teachers of fiction are the great works of fiction themselves. You can learn more about the structure of a short story by reading Anton Chekhov's 'Heartache' than you can in a semester of Creative Writing 101. If you read like a writer, that is, which means you have to read everything twice, at least. When you read a story or novel the first time, just let it happen. Enjoy the journey. When you've finished, you know where the story took you, and now you can go back and reread, and this time notice how the writer reached that destination. Notice the choices he made at each chapter, each sentence, each word. (Every word is a choice.) You see now how the transitions work, how a character gets across a room. All this time you're learning. You loved the central character in the story, and now you can see how the writer presented the character and rendered her worthy of your love and attention. The first reading is creative—you collaborate with the writer in making the story. The second reading is critical.


John Dufresne, from his book, The Lie That Tells A Truth: A Guide to Writing Fiction

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Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 1, Edited by Charles Dudley Warner

 

Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 1, Edited by Charles Dudley Warner


LIBRARY OF THE

WORLD'S BEST LITERATURE

ANCIENT AND MODERN

VOL. I.




CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER

EDITOR




HAMILTON WRIGHT MABIE
LUCIA GILBERT RUNKLE
GEORGE HENRY WARNER

ASSOCIATE EDITORS


Books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are; nay, they do preserve as in a vial the purest efficacy and extraction of that living intellect that bred them. I know they are as lively, and as vigorously productive, as those fabulous dragon's teeth; and being sown up and down, may chance to spring up armed men. And yet on the other hand, unless wariness be used, as good almost kill a man as kill a good book: who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image; but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself, kills the image of God, as it were in the eye. Many a man lives a burden to the earth; but a good book is the precious life-blood of a master-spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life.

JOHN MILTON.




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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

VOL. I

ABÉLARD AND HÉLOISE (by Thomas Davidson) -- 1079-1142

Letter of Héloise to Abélard

Abélard's Answer to Héloise

Vesper Hymn of Abélard

EDMOND ABOUT -- 1828-1885

The Capture ('The King of the Mountains')

Hadgi-Stavros (same)

The Victim ('The Man with the Broken Ear')

The Man without a Country (same)

ACCADIAN-BABYLONIAN AND ASSYRIAN LITERATURE (by Crawford H. Toy)

Theogony

Revolt of Tiamat

Descent to the Underworld

The Flood

The Eagle and the Snake

The Flight of Etana

The God Zu

Adapa and the Southwind

Penitential Psalms

Inscription of Sennacherib

Invocation to the Goddess Beltis

Oracles of Ishtar of Arbela

An Erechite's Lament

ABIGAIL ADAMS (by Lucia Gilbert Runkle) -- 1744-1818

Letters--To her Husband:

May 24, 1775; June 15, 1775; June 18, 1775;

Nov. 27, 1775; April 20, 1777; June 8, 1779

To her Sister:

Sept. 5, 1784; May 10, 1785;

July 24, 1784; June 24, 1785

To her Niece

HENRY ADAMS -- 1838-

Auspices of the War of 1812

What the War of 1812 De

monstrated

Battle between the Constitution and the Guerrière

JOHN ADAMS -- 1735-1826

At the French Court ('Diary')

Character of Franklin (Letter to the Boston Patriot)

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS -- 1767-1848

Letter to his Father, at the Age of Ten

From the Memoirs, at the Age of Eighteen

From the Memoirs, Jan. 14, 1831; June 7, 1833; Sept. 9, 1833

The Mission of America (Fourth of July Oration, 1821)

The Right of Petition (Speech in Congress)

Nullification (Fourth of July Oration, 1831)

SARAH FLOWER ADAMS -- 1805-1848

He

Sendeth Sun, He Sendeth Shower

Nearer, My God, to Thee

JOSEPH ADDISON (by Hamilton Wright Mabie) -- 1672-1720

Sir Roger de Coverley at the Play

Visit to Sir Roger de Coverley

Vanity of Human Life

Essay on Fans

Hymn, 'The Spacious Firmament'

AELIANUS CLAUDIUS -- Second Century

Of Certain Notable Men that made themselves Playfellowes with Children

Of a Certaine Sicilian whose Eyesight was Woonderfull Sharpe and Quick

The Lawe of the Lacedaemonians against Covetousness

That Sleep is the Brother of Death, and of Gorgias drawing to his End

Of the Voluntary and Willing Death of Calanus

Of Delicate Dinners, Sumptuous Suppers, and Prodigall

Banqueting

Of Bestowing Time, and how Walking Up and Downe was not Allowable among the Lacedaemonians

How Socrates Suppressed the Pryde and Hautinesse of Alcibiades

Of Certaine Wastgoodes and Spendthriftes

AESCHINES -- B.C. 389-314

A Defense and an Attack ('Oration against Ctesiphon')

AESCHYLUS (by John Williams White) -- B.C. 525-456

Complaint of Prometheus ('Prometheus')

Prayer to Artemis ('The Suppliants')

Defiance of Eteocles ('The Seven against Thebes')

Vision of Cassandra ('Agamemnon')

Lament of the Old Nurse ('The Libation-Pourers')

Decree of Athena

('The Eumenides')

AESOP (by Harry Thurston Peck) -- Seventh Century B.C.

The Fox and the Lion

The Ass in the Lion's Skin

The Ass Eating Thistles

The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

The Countryman and the Snake

The Belly and the Members

The Satyr and the Traveler

The Lion and the other Beasts

The Ass and the Little Dog

The Country Mouse and the City Mouse

The Dog and the Wolf

JEAN LOUIS RODOLPHE AGASSIZ -- 1807-1873

The Silurian Beach ('Geological Sketches')

Voices ('Methods of Study in Natural History')

Formation of Coral Reefs (same)

AGATHIAS -- A.D.

1816-1847

Greatness of Friendship ('Woman's Friendship')

Order of Knighthood ('The Days of Bruce')

Culprit and Judge ('Home Influence')

WILLIAM HARRISON AINSWORTH -- 1805-1882

Students of Paris ('Crichton')

MARK AKENSIDE -- 1721-1770

From the Epistle to Curio

Aspirations after the Infinite ('Pleasures of the Imagination')

On a Sermon against Glory

PEDRO ANTONIO DE ALARCÓN -- 1833-1891

A Woman Viewed from Without ('The Three-Cornered Hat')

How the Orphan Manuel gained his Sobriquet ('The Child of the Ball')

ALCAEUS -- Sixth Century B.C.

The Palace

A Banquet Song

An Invitation

The Storm

The Poor Fisherman

The State

Poverty

BALTÁZAR DE ALCÁZAR -- 1530?-1606

Sleep

The Jovial Supper

ALCIPHRON (by Harry Thurston Peck) -- Second Century

From a Mercenary Girl--Petala to Simalion

Pleasures of Athens--Euthydicus to Epiphanio

From an Anxious Mother--Phyllis to Thrasonides

From a Curious Youth--Philocomus to Thestylus

From a Professional Diner-out--Capnosphrantes to Aristomachus

Unlucky Luck--Chytrolictes to Patellocharon

ALCMAN -- Seventh Century B.C.

Poem on Night

LOUISA MAY ALCOTT -- 1832-1888

The Night Ward ('Hospital Sketches')

Amy's Valley of Humiliation

('Little Women')

Thoreau's Flute (Atlantic Monthly)

Song from the Suds ('Little Women')

ALCUIN (by William H. Carpenter) -- 735?-8o4

On the Saints of the Church at York ('Alcuin and the Rise of the Christian Schools')

Disputation between Pepin, the Most Noble and Royal Youth, and Albinus the Scholastic

A Letter from Alcuin to Charlemagne

HENRY M. ALDEN -- 1836-

A Dedication--To My Beloved Wife ('A Study of Death')

The Dove and the Serpent (same)

Death and Sleep (same)

The Parable of the Prodigal (same)

THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH -- 1837-

Destiny

Identity

Prescience

Alec Yeaton's Son

Memory

Tennyson (1890)

Sweetheart, Sigh No More

Broken Music

Elmwood

Sea Longings

A Shadow of the Night

Outward Bound

Reminiscence

Père Antoine's

Date-Palm

Miss Mehetabel's Son

ALEARDO ALEARDI -- 1812-1878

Cowards ('The Primal Histories')

The Harvesters ('Monte Circello')

The Death of the Year ('An Hour of My Youth')

JEAN LE ROND D'ALEMBERT -- 1717-1783

Montesquieu (Eulogy in the 'Encyclopédie')

VITTORIO ALFIERI (by L. Oscar Kuhns) -- 1749-1803

Scenes from 'Agamemnon'

ALFONSO THE WISE -- 1221-1284

What Meaneth a Tyrant, and How he Useth his Power ('Las Siete Partidas')

On the Turks, and Why they are So Called ('La Gran Conquista de Ultramar')

To the Month of Mary ('Cantigas')

ALFRED THE GREAT -- 849-901

King Alfred on King-Craft

Alfred's Preface to the Version of Pope Gregory's 'Pastoral Care'

From Boethius

Blossom Gatherings from St. Augustine

CHARLES GRANT ALLEN -- 1848-

The Coloration of Flowers ('The Colors of Flowers')

Among the Heather ('The Evolutionist at Large')

The Heron's Haunt ('Vignettes from Nature')

JAMES LANE ALLEN -- 1850-

A Courtship ('A Summer in Arcady')

Old King Solomon's Coronation ('Flute and Violin')

WILLIAM ALLINGHAM -- 1828-1889

The Ruined Chapel

The Winter Pear

O Spirit of the Summer-time

The Bubble

St. Margaret's Eve

The Fairies

Robin Redbreast

An Evening

Daffodil

Lovely Mary Donnelly

KARL JONAS LUDVIG ALMQUIST -- 1793-1866

Characteristics of Cattle

A New Undine (from 'The Book of the Rose')

God's War

JOHANNA AMBROSIUS –

1854-

A Peasant's Thoughts

Struggle and Peace

Do Thou Love, Too!

Invitation

EDMONDO DE AMICIS -- 1846-

The Light ('Constantinople')

Resemblances (same)

Birds (same)

Cordova ('Spain')

The Land of Pluck ('Holland and Its People')

The Dutch Masters ('Holland and Its People')

HENRI FRÉDÉRIC AMIEL (by Richard Burton) -- 1821-1881

Extracts from Amiel's Journal:

Christ's Real Message

Duty

Joubert

Greeks vs. Moderns

Nature, and Teutonic and Scandinavian Poetry

Training of Children

Mozart and Beethoven

 1854-

A Peasant's Thoughts

Struggle and Peace

Do Thou Love, Too!

Invitation

EDMONDO DE AMICIS -- 1846-

The Light ('Constantinople')

Resemblances (same)

Birds (same)

Cordova ('Spain')

The Land of Pluck ('Holland and Its People')

The Dutch Masters ('Holland and Its People')

HENRI FRÉDÉRIC AMIEL (by Richard Burton) -- 1821-1881

Extracts from Amiel's Journal:

Christ's Real Message

Duty

Joubert

Greeks vs. Moderns

Nature, and Teutonic and Scandinavian Poetry

Training of Children

Mozart and Beethoven

 

FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS

 

VOLUME I.

 

The Book of the Dead (Colored Plate).

First English Printing (Fac-simile).

Assyrian Clay Tablet (Fac-simile).

John Adams (Portrait).

John Quincy Adams (Portrait).

Joseph Addison (Portrait).

Louis Agassiz (Portrait).

"Poetry" (Photogravure).

Vittorio Alfieri (Portrait).

"A Courtship" (Photogravure).

"A Dutch Girl" (Photogravure).

 

VIGNETTE PORTRAITS

Pierre Abélard.

Edmond About.

Abigail Adams.

Aeschines.

Aeschylus.

Aesop.

Grace Aguilar.

William Harrison Ainsworth.

Mark Akenside.

Alcaeus.

Louisa May Alcott.

Thomas Bailey Aldrich.

Jean le Rond D'Alembert.

Edmondo de Amicis.

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