The Art of Subtext: Beyond Plot (Art of...) (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Father Firman, Paula Fox, Flannery O'Connor (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Though there are passages where this slim, college-lecture-style volume turns facile or tiresome, novelist Baxter's analysis of "the implied, the half-visible, and the unspoken" in literature is saved from irrelevance by a keen sense of pacing and a healthy dose of self-awareness (after confidently zooming through seminal works by Herman Melville, John Cheever, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Baxter confesses, "I feel that ... I am on the verge of what Walt Whitman calls 'a usual mistake.' I don't wish to simplify what is actually intricate"). Indeed, as the brief chapters of this little book build on each other, Baxter's observations-which initially seem more like interesting rhetorical devices than substantive arguments-gain clarity and momentum, and the accumulation of anecdotal asides about writers' workshops and former students turn them from annoying interjections into helpful indicators of Baxter's relationship with literature. Many of the issues raised in this volume are as old as the study of literature itself, but Baxter's ability to ask unusual and incisive questions of familiar topics (Why is the volatility of Dostoyevsky's characters so unpleasant? Why is it so difficult-and yet so vital-to describe facial features?) makes this little volume worthwhile for the engaged student of literature.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“The Art Of series is meant to restore criticism as an art, with writers examining features of their craft in lively and colorful prose.” —CHARLES BAXTER

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Graywolf Press (July 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555974732
• ISBN-13: 978-1555974732
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #68,414 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #82 in

  Books > Reference > Writing > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Different Twist , August 23, 2007

By	D. Crowell "avid reader" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Baxter offers a beautifully written, unique perspective on a topic (subtext) that is rarely covered effectively in writing guides. His book reads like an extended essay and provides concrete examples of the various aspects of subtext. He goes beyond craft and succeeds in uncovering the mechanics of the art of writing. This book would be enjoyed by those who are seriously interested in the art/craft of writing and are also well-read. Baxter's approach is intellectual, philosophical and profound. Not your basic soup to nuts approach but more suited to the thoughtful writer/reader.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Substantive Writing, September 9, 2008

By	John Wolf "author and musician" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I selected this book on a recommendation from a magazine and it has become a well worn reference in my library of how-to books. I recommend reading it through fast as you can, to get a feel for the concept. Then read it again for the depth. Subtexting sounds very techincal and cold, but the concept is anything but.

I was inspiried by the book and base my plot planning and character development on this concept for every project. Subtext is a writer's secret weapon. I recommend every writer take heed.

Harmonics, A Dark and Stormy Knight, Orphan Records

26 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The art of reading well, August 10, 2007

By	Charlus "charlus" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

A wonderfully well-written book on the writer's art of creating an imaginative density within the confines of plot, in order to bring added dimension to the story. While not always dealing with what I would define as subtext, as his definition is more encompassing than mine, Baxter continually brings smart ideas to the fore revealing his long experience in articulating the craft of writing. And he shows more interestingly how attention paid to the nuances of the writing adds a palpable increased appreciation to reading in general.

Some of his observations are so wonderfully right that they easily repay the price of admission, so to speak. An example:

"This collapse of distance gives the reader the frequent impression that scenes in Dostoyevsky's fiction are happening in some kind of dramatic location so close to you that you can't remove yourself from the scene. Reading Dostoyevsky is like sitting in the front row of the theater, where the actor's spit lands in your face." (p.125)

I can only aspire to be as good a reader as Charles Baxter is.