Book Review: Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose

Title: Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People who Love Books and Those Who Want to Write Them
Author: Francine Prose
Enjoyment Rating: 7/10
Referral: I think that my friend Angela told me about this one
Source: It's been sitting on my shelf for a long time
Books I've read this year: 7

I really like the concept behind this book, which is basically that good readers can become good writers through emulating the characteristics they see in the (good) books they read. There are entirely too many goods in that sentence, and that's intentional. Because Prose's premise is based on the assumption that writers are "good" readers, close readers, thoughtful readers. I'm not one. If I'm not taking a class or writing a review, books go in one side of my brain and out the other like water. So the most essential thing for me, if I want to glean any skills from the great writers out there, is to be a better reader. Once you've got that down, it's easy to follow where Prose (isn't Prose the best name for a writer, by the way?) will go with the rest of the book-- she looks at various elements important in crafting fiction by taking examples from great books. It's not a revolutionary concept, and I think the book functions as a how-to book for people who might not necessarily see themselves as writers when they pick it up.