On Writers & Writing

TL;DR John Gardner just isn't for me. 3/5 stars. I've gotta say, Gardner has been 0 out of 2 for me. I don't have much to say about this one - I think it is a case of high expectations and personal taste. Being an aspiring writer (albeit not a very good one), this book was marketed to me as the best......more

John Garder did not equivocate.......more

Good if not snotty discussion of the writing of fiction: "Sophie's Choice, as I hope I have already made clear, is a splendidly written, thrilling book, a philosophical novel on the most important subject of the twentieth century. If it is not, for me, a hands-down literary masterpiece, the reason is......more

Great essays on the craft of writing. Must read for any writer.......more

I gave this book rating of only two stars because it is really for scholars, students, and people who want to write literary fiction. It reads like an academic piece or a lecture. I would have preferred it if Gardner would have written something for the mainstream reader. I would only recommend it t......more