The Lively Art of Writing (Mentor Series)
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Customer Reviews
“ I often recommend this book to students who want to improve their writing style; it is easy to read and practices the art that it preaches. ”
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
58 of 59 people found the following review helpful
By Erica Bell
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I've purchased several expensive books, combed our library system, and spent hours online looking for a way to replicate my 4 years in A.P. English for my homeschooling kids. This magical little book is by far the easiest to apply to homeschooling formats, the most thorough, and far and away the cheapest solution to our problem. I can't rave about it enough.
Please don't be put off by some reviews here that call Payne's little book "boring"---it's not MTV, certainly, but it's succinct and gets right down to business in a chatty style. The examples are dated, true, but I find that a plus: teens are more willing to properly evaluate the arguments for or against, say, drag racing (a puzzling social "problem" to our kids)than more volatile modern issues that kick in a more knee-jerk emotional response. The dated examples are quaint rather than distracting, and they don't detract from her lessons.
Essays can be excruciatingly formulaic, or they can blend, in Payne's words, "fact with imagination, knowledge with feeling, never giving itself over wholly to one or the other. But its purpose is always the same: to express an opinion." Learning the format and developing elegant, personal style is what this gem is all about. And a book that combines an all-in-one guide to constructing an essay (as opposed to a report or a manual) combined with a VERY useful style section is really hard to find! It's funny, too--her crusade against the passive voice, "A Plan For Self-Protection" is a good example: "At this extreme, passive voice aquires a peculiar aura of its own, a subtle undertone of ah-how-sweet-and-sad-and-strange the world is(always pleasing to the young, and to the young writer almost irresistable). Resist it. It's just secretarial prose with its face painted: all dressed up but still going nowhere."
Thoughtful questions at the end of each short chapter help with comprehension. This would be a great "text" to use in a co-op setting, although it would work well with a student learning alone. Thank goodness it's still available!
Please don't be put off by some reviews here that call Payne's little book "boring"---it's not MTV, certainly, but it's succinct and gets right down to business in a chatty style. The examples are dated, true, but I find that a plus: teens are more willing to properly evaluate the arguments for or against, say, drag racing (a puzzling social "problem" to our kids)than more volatile modern issues that kick in a more knee-jerk emotional response. The dated examples are quaint rather than distracting, and they don't detract from her lessons.
Essays can be excruciatingly formulaic, or they can blend, in Payne's words, "fact with imagination, knowledge with feeling, never giving itself over wholly to one or the other. But its purpose is always the same: to express an opinion." Learning the format and developing elegant, personal style is what this gem is all about. And a book that combines an all-in-one guide to constructing an essay (as opposed to a report or a manual) combined with a VERY useful style section is really hard to find! It's funny, too--her crusade against the passive voice, "A Plan For Self-Protection" is a good example: "At this extreme, passive voice aquires a peculiar aura of its own, a subtle undertone of ah-how-sweet-and-sad-and-strange the world is(always pleasing to the young, and to the young writer almost irresistable). Resist it. It's just secretarial prose with its face painted: all dressed up but still going nowhere."
Thoughtful questions at the end of each short chapter help with comprehension. This would be a great "text" to use in a co-op setting, although it would work well with a student learning alone. Thank goodness it's still available!
54 of 56 people found the following review helpful
By Ryan Gardner
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
There tend to be two levels of achievement in everything we do: the functional level, and the superb level. In school, we are taught the functional level; in life, we admire the superb level. Drivers education will not make you a race car driver, and your english class will not make you a good writer.
In this book, however, are the skills and techniques necessary to take your writing and expression beyond the current level. Since I've read the words in that book, the words in my papers have suddenly been lining up for me and saying things in clever ways.
The book talks about specific ways, and gives specific examples, of how good writers write. There is no bull in this book. If you read it, apply it, and write a lot - you will improve your writing.
It used to take me about eighteen hours to write a single page paper because my mind would go off in so many directions trying to get my idea on paper. It now takes me about twenty minutes, because I am able to think through an entire paper before I write it.
It sounds rather fanciful, but in reality it isn't. The book helps select what literary methods to use. It is your caddy. In your bag are many tricks which you use to drive ideas home or push thoughts along. Each trick, like a golf club, is useful in certain situations. The caddy helps you pick them.
Most other books give you the clubs but not the caddy. This book is different because it tells you how and when to use them - and it knows. This is not your pimple-faced 12 year old caddy... Oh no, this is the real deal. This is the caddy that will get you off of the torn up local greens and onto your neighbors TV screen... Leave the functional and join the superb. This book will help you get there.
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By J. Garlen
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book has helped me tremendously, not only as a writer but as a teacher of writing, as well. I often recommend this book to students who want to improve their writing style; it is easy to read and practices the art that it preaches. I find it much more useful than most of the handbooks that appear on composition course syllabi, and I even prefer it to that classic text by Strunk and White, The Elements of Style. The chapter on Passive Voice is especially good. I think that this book ought to have a place in every writer's library!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely useful
This book is wonderful! It's a bit dry in places, but every now and again I began giggling at some witty turn of phrase. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Theresa Wilkin
5.0 out of 5 stars
good price
I bought it for my kid to use after school study. Hope he uses it to improve his word power.
Published 3 months ago by CHUNG KI HAHN
5.0 out of 5 stars
Older Edition..meh...
the book itself is awesome! It was an xmas gift for my daughter that she needed for her AP English class. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mike
4.0 out of 5 stars
Packed with information.
I purchased this book to help my teen in writing essays. The books is packed with information but some readers might find it difficult to understand if they are only used to... Read more
Published 4 months ago by H. Gifford
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Lively Art of Writing, Lucile Vaughn Payne
The Lively Art of Writing, makes a great at home reference book. I read it from cover to cover. I bought it used, but I would be willing to buy the same book brand new, give it as... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Miranda
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential reading for high school students
I was subjected to this years ago in school. Reading it was horrible and dry, and the exercises made us want to rip our hair out. It was all worth it. Read more
Published 5 months ago by PE
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book!
I used this book for high school english class. I read it during summer, and it's very easy to understand. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Chris
5.0 out of 5 stars
Every English teacher and every English teacher needs this.
I continue to order copies of this book (and give the copies away) because it contains information that most textbooks omit and many English teacher never read or forget about.
Published on September 10, 2010 by Carol AL Meeks
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprised by Payne
Wow! I didn't expect what I got when I bought this book. A couple of years ago I was looking for a book that would help improve my writing. Read more
Published on June 30, 2010 by Chaplain AReid
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best
I have read many books on the mechanics of writing; Payne's is the best. She is concise and lively, direct and fun to read. Read more
Published on June 28, 2010 by P. Warren
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