Customer Reviews

The Writer's Chapbook: A Compendium of Fact, Opinion, Wit, and Advice from the Twentieth Century's Preeminent Writers (Modern Library)

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This trove contains writer's thoughts on the craft of writing. Beginning with its inaugural edition in 1953, The Paris Review, a quarterly, included an interview with E. M Forester, then one of the most famous writers.

In the ensuing years more almost 250 novelists, poets, essayists and biographers have shared their thoughts on their work, work habits and peers. The Chapbook breaks their thoughts down by subject, rather an author.

It is divided into four parts: "The Writer: A Profile" which includes the writer's observations on "Why I Write", "On Reading", "On Inspiration", "On Editors", "On Revising" and "On Critics", among others.

The second part "Technical Matters" includes observations "On Style", "On Plot" and among others "On Writer's Block".

The third part "Different Forms" includes thoughts "On Biography", "On Criticism", "On Short Stories" and "On Potboilers".

The last part "The Writer's Life" contains observations "On Politics", "On Readings", "On Social Life" and my favorite "On Peers".

I keep the Chapbook on my desk for times when I need to savor inspiration. My problem is, having found it, I linger longer.

This book is a gem! It's great for reading in small doses, when a longer book isn't practical or available. Insomniacs rejoice! This is a great volume to keep beside the bed, to dip into on sleepless nights. Plimpton's interviews run the gamut from Faulkner to Burgess to Irving and beyond. This is a fascinating compilation, a very illuminating look into the minds of the worlds greatest modern writers. It's funny, poignant, and instructive to anyone interested in reading or writing.

The Writers' Chapbook is a rare find for those of us who periodically wonder why we have the sheer gall to think we can write anything worth reading. Reading the vicissitudes of really great and fine writers shores up sagging spirits in no time. Plus one picks up some ageless advice that had faded away over time.

This book is a dipper--you don't have to read any part of it straight through unless you get hooked, like I did, on the focus of a single chapter.

My advice: Read it! You'll be so glad you did.