How Fiction Works Audiobook

" One excellent insight on POV, not much else. "

" Luminous critique of what it is we respond to in literary fiction. There a few points where Wood doesn't fully back up his judgments, and one is tempted to consider them a matter of taste. But the pairing of Henry James's What Maisie Knew with Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings to illustrate what Wood calls "free indirect style" is priceless. I queued up The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie to read on the strength of Wood's references to it. "

" Probably the smartest book on fiction writing out there. "

" Does exactly what any kind of literary theory should do: it makes you want to read. "

" An interesting study, thoughtful and engaging, but women writers are woefully underrepresented "

" An enlightening guide through the ins and outs of fiction. It is a relatively easy read and captures interest throughout. "

" As usual, James Wood is brilliant. "

" clear. concise. informative. entertaining. "

" Perhaps a bit more theoretical than practical, this book does help you think about fiction in new ways and that is its one big goal. "

" I'm not yet done with this FAB book, but anyone who cares about fiction, writing it, reading it, etc., should give this a go. I like reading about how stuff works...Woods is a critic-genius (I'd hate him to review MY fiction!) and very down to earth. "

" A solid read from start to finish, but also a good shelf grabber. Pick it up, browse a series of passages on a writing topic and get your head into the work you have to get done. Definitely a handy utility for a working writer. "

" Pompous and out of date with today's readers and writers. "

" This is an amazing little volume. I'm so happy I found this. "

" Highly recommended if you have ever been curious about how fiction is put together and how it does what it does. I enjoyed it immensely despite not having read a lot of the works he talks about. I'll happily read anything this guy writes. "

" My Go-To book for when I have a writing problem that needs a post-mortem. Something to learn on almost every page. "

" Outstanding in its clarity and thought provoking prose. A must read for any writer. "

" Great fun. Gets one excited about reading fiction and provides a reasonable bibliography for getting back into excellent fiction. "

" not much new but a quick, enjoyable read that pointed me to some more novels to read "

" The best craft book I've ever read. "

" re-reading sections. some great passages. also disagree with about half of what he says. so i dunno. still -- learned about how flaubert changed the way novelists write description, jumbling up and time to create a cumulative sensual image... almost filmic. "

" A meandering account of good and bad writing, but it doesn't really live up to the title by telling you how fiction works. This is more like a what James Wood likes to read compilation. The chapters are shorter than a page of twitter feeds. "

" Wood is a genius. This books inspires you to read everything he's read (which is essentially everything). "

" This book made me change the way I think about what makes a novel excellent. On top of that, it was beautifully written instructive prose--a difficult feat. Highly recommended. "

" He thought the cover was good, promising. And he was right. The cover was good. As for the rest: a very enjoyable read that may have more influence on the reader, particularly if he or she is also a writer, than they may wish. "

" Some good ideas but over written. There is no reason the prose cannot be clearer. "

" If only Wood would now synthesize how reader comments (should) work, we'd all benefit. "