Customer Reviews

Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose

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For anyone wanting to understand the theory and importance of writing, whether it be fiction or nonfiction, get this book. Flannery O' Connor delves deeply into the mystery of writing, why people do it, struggle over it, sacrifice so much of themselves in order to do it, to a slew of other fantastic bits of information and reasons. Mystery and Manners has narrowed my own overly broad understanding of why I write. It has helped me to focus, not on just the many types of writing, but also on the type of books that I read and should read in order to be a fully developed writer. O' Connor discuses a lot on voice and plot and theme; her views are so clear and exact. Any professional or novice writer will really appreciate her collection of essays. More than anything, writers will appreciate O' Connor's affirmation of their own views. They too will appreciate her understanding of the difficulty and importance of why people write. I can not praise this book enough.

As an engineering student, I lean towards thinking of mystery as something temporary and, well, bad. The whole goal behind scientific research is to expel mystery - at least in the immediate context. Flannery O'Connor's timeless writings opened my eyes to the world beyond certainty, and I had to nod in agreement at her insightful appreciations of human quirkiness or critiques on deviatory literature teaching methods. (Of course science know uncertainty at the atomic/subatomic level, but we call that statistics.) In the end, I marvel at the little gems in this book, thoughtfully crafted by a master artist, laced with earthy truth and nitty-gritty humanness, and don't hesitate to recommend at least a library peek to anyone.

Flannery O'Connor shares opinions about (mainly) writing in this collection of previously unpublished transcripts of lectures. At times the text seems unwieldy, perhaps because the editors faced the dual duties of fidelity to the original work, and a need to prune over 50 transcripts into a non-repetitious form. There is also a clever editorial sleight of hand, with the inclusion of the first essay on the peacocks and pea hens - I was confused by it at first, then half way through the book realised it set the mood, the tone of how to read the book. That after reading 'King of the Birds', we have an impression of Flannery O'Connor - that she is a stickler for detail - which informs the rest of our reading. It is an experiential understanding of what she means when she says that a story should not be dissected but read as a whole, stands as a whole, and the whole informs whatever understanding we get out of it.

Lots of delicious gems in here for anyone who wants to see the other side of Flannery O'Connor's work. In a way it is a contradiction that this book was published at all, as the author felt that the obsessions writers have about how other writers work, what other writers think about writing, was pointless. She believed that all was contained in the stories themselves. Are we going to take her advice?

This book is an inspiring and entertaining experience for both writers and readers of fiction. Even the more specific essays touch on general issues such as characterization and the underlying meaning in short stories. Fans of Anne Lamott's BIRD BY BIRD and Henry James's and John Gardner's books on writing will appreciate this collection of essays.

"I think that every writer, when he speaks of his own approach to fiction, hopes to show that, in some crucial and deep sense, he is a realist; and for some of us, for whom the ordinary aspects of daily life prove to be of no great fictional interest, this is very difficult. I have found that if one's young hero can't be identified with the average American boy, or even with the average American delinquent, then his perpetrator will have a good deal of explaining to do."

Flannery O'Connor's "Mystery and Manners" is, to me, an indispensable text: it has acted as my writing mentor for several years. As a collection of her essays, mostly about some aspect of writing, literature, culture, or religion (the oddball here is a humorous essay describing O'Connor's traumatic experience raising peacocks), "Mystery and Manners" provides a look into the mind and purpose of a great Southern writer. I recommend that those interested in O'Connor's works read this book before diving into "Wise Blood" or "A Good Man is Hard to Find." Without a clear understanding of O'Connor's intentions, first time readers may feel as if they are being sucked into a black whirlpool by the intensity of some of her works. These essays can help leviate that shock.

Here O'Connor explains why she writes the way she does ("The Grotesque in Southern Fiction," "On Her Own Work"), the value of regional culture to Southern writers like herself ("The Fiction Writer and His Country," "The Regional Writer"), what makes writing good ("The Nature and Aim of Fiction," "Writing Short Stories"), her view of how literature should be used in schools ("The Teaching of Literature," "Total Effect and the Eighth Grade"), and how her Catholic faith factors into her writing ("The Church and the Fiction Writer," "The Catholic Novelist in the Protestant South"). The final essay, "A Memoir of Mary Ann," discusses a cancer-wracked child's story--and that child's purpose. These writings, filled with both wisdom and humor, are valuable to writers with religious interests (Protestant as well as Catholic), to anyone trying to understand Southern culture, and to all lovers of good literature.

This is a wonderful compilation of essays, speeches and musings by Flannery O'Connor, one of America's finest short story writers. If you have read O'Connor's stories, then this is an essential companion to her stories, because it reveals O'Connor's vision of the South, the grotesque, religion, other writers and the meaning and purpose of fiction. This book also contains some of the most succinct and lucid essays about the art and craft of writing. In sum, this is a superb book that, with the passage time, is timeless.

This book is rich with humor, insight, courage, practical tips on the writing life. It includes the reader as an honored guest and sends the reader back out into the world satisfied and eager. In an age that mocks simple faith and profits by the downfall of belief even as it piously and hypocritically scolds those who have been misguided, this book is good news. It is a heartening guide back to the world where faith is fresh and plenteous and the faithful are not confounded for their beliefs but are encouraged by the warmth the book generates. The heart is ignited and a good journey is begun with the author as a companion. This book contains a wealth that promises to stay around for all time.

O'Connor writes with such wit and wisdom that I found myself overwhelmed. I began to mark pages, then realized I was marking each and every one.

Tucked between two short pieces, the meat of the book deals with the craft of writing, the motivation and method, and the spiritual heart of fiction. Never have I read so direct an approach to the mix of religion and art. O'Connor's words can be applied to creative efforts in all fields and in all branches of Christendom. Why then, with such poignant insights penned over forty years ago, does the Church at large still look down on artistic endeavor? Must everything preach a literal sermon for the concrete Western mindset? As O'Connor makes clear, art speaks truth only when it embraces life in all its shades of good and evil.

This book could be titled aptly, "Freedom and Frustrations." Any writer diving into this work will discover O'Connor's pearls of wisdom beneath the waves of public narrowmindedness. Don't pass this by if you wish to make art that matters. You'll be encouraged. You'll also be freed to have fun in the process.

I've always known that Flannery O'Connor was an incredible writer, but I am amazed at her ability to fully explain her craft. She is extremely witty and graceful. She provides a glimpse into the strategy and "mystery" of fiction writing. Everyone who enjoys reading fiction, or strives to create their own should purchase this book.

MYSTERY AND MANNERS is a discourse on writings in which the great O'Connor reveals to the reader the grand purpose of her prose. The transcendent is heaven, that which is unseen and mysterious. History is moving towards the goal of being with God in heaven, but life is lived out on the level of the mundane (manners). The intersection of the two centers each and every story that O'Connor ever wrote. Relentless in her eschatological drive, beautiful in her style, sharp with her wit,
this is a feast of intellectual and artistic delight. There is nothing quite like reading Flannery O'Connor, and this is a good place to start.