This book reminded me why I love reading. It also gave me a huge list of books to read, which I have been bad about following up with. Each chapter focuses on a certain aspect of the writer’s art and helps you, the reader, to see how it can be used to create meaningful sentences. Yes! This book made me excited about the potential of a sentence. Who knew that was possible? Anyway, if you at all like to read, you have to read this book. If you want to write, this book will help show you the best way to do so. A real treasure with very readable and enjoyable prose.

After just posting Prose’s Primitive People I realized I never posted Reading Like a Writer, which I suppose I read last fall, just about a year ago (very shortly after it came out).

The book is a tour of how one writer (Prose–it is often quite autobiographical and personal) reads, for education, inspiration, and pleasure. By using a variety of examples she redefines the standard creative-writing vocabulary through works of the past. Moves on to discuss her own relationship with Chekhov’s work and finally provides a list of books that she believes anyone who wants to writes–should really have already read.

So for those of you wanting to write, or just who enjoy reading and writing and such related activities, you will likely enjoy this book.

I got Francine Prose’s Primitive People while I was home last weekend at the Book Outlet, and in maintaining my read-a-bunch-of-short-books plan finished it this morning. It was pretty good, I did enjoy it, but it did not blow me away.

My favorite character, the vulgar and philosophical, sex-driven yet idealistic children’s hairstylist Kenny wasn’t used to his full potential. Actually I think that is generally my complaint, I wanted a bit more to happen, though I did appreciate the not so tidy ending. It is a well executed piece of writing, just unfortunately not too much more than that.