Book Reviews › Career › How Fiction Works
Honest review · Career
How Fiction Works
by James Wood
A critic on free indirect style, detail, character and realism, with close readings of great novels. Teaches you to read like a writer.
Read it if…
you want to understand how prose produces its effects.
See the book →
Skip it if…
you want a how-to.
Try instead: Reading Like a Writer →
Three things you will actually use
- Free indirect style.
- Telling detail.
- Realism is a technique.
Do this first
Read the chapter on free indirect style.
Our verdict
How prose works.
See the book →
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