Books › On the art of writing
On the art of writing
322 pages
Step into a wood-paneled Cambridge lecture hall from 1913 for an erudite, passionate defense of the English language.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like slipping into a wooden pew in a 1913 Cambridge lecture hall, listening to a brilliant, slightly eccentric professor hold forth on the majesty of the English language. The pace is leisurely and deliberate, inviting you to savor the rhetorical flourishes and sharp, witty takedowns of bureaucratic jargon. It possesses an erudite, cozy atmosphere, steeped in a profound reverence for literary lineage and the sheer mechanics of good prose. The sentences themselves are elegant and classically structured, demanding a reader's full attention while rewarding them with timeless insights into the craft. It is a delight for logophiles, aspiring writers, and anyone who finds comfort in the rigorous, passionate study of words and style.
- Mood
- academic
- contemplative
- reverent
- cozy
- Tone
- erudite
- conversational
- witty
- didactic
- opinionated
- Pace
- leisurely
- Themes
- the craft of writing · defense of clear language · literary lineage · the pursuit of style · intellectual discipline
- The writing
- Eloquent, classically structured, and rich with literary allusions and rhetorical flourish.
- The arc
- Moves from a state of academic curiosity to a deep, resonant appreciation for the beauty and precision of the English language.
- Who it's for
- Logophiles, writers, and literature enthusiasts who enjoy vintage academic perspectives on language and style.
Content notes
- outdated cultural attitudes
About the book
A series of lectures delivered at the University of Cambridge in 1913 and 1914, according to the Preface the text is pretty close to unchanged from the text of the lectures.
The twelve chapters are entitled:
Inaugural - The Practice of Writing - On the Difference between Verse and Prose - On the Capital Difficulty of Verse - Interlude: On Jargon - On the Capital Difficulty of Prose - Some Principles Reaffirmed - On the Lineage of English Literature 1 - On the Lineage of English Literature 2 - English Literature in Our Universities 1 - English Literature in Our Universities 2 - On Style
There is also an Index.
Description from Open Library.
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