The Art of Fiction

Anybody who knows me personally has probably already laughed or rolled their eyes at the title of this post.

I am an Art of Fiction nut job, referring to it constantly in written work and in conversation. I love it. My copy is ring-marked, highlighted and speared with Post-It page markers: a loved and supportive friend in the run up to more deadlines than I care to remember. It’s a collection of David Lodge’s articles about writing and fiction from the Independent on Sunday and the Washington Post.

The book is great to read as a whole or for a quick memory refresh upon subjects such as magic realism or defamiliarisation. The articles use both contemporary and classic texts to illustrate the literary techniques discussed in practice, making it a fantastic reference guide. It’s a great, simply-written supplement to the bibliography of any literary essay, originally written with entertainment and academia in mind. This makes it engaging and incredibly quotable.