Jim Cox, Editor and Chief of Midwest Book Review gives me (and everyone else) permission to reprint the reviews he publishes in his glorious newsletter for writers (my words, not his! (-: ) I am particularly fond of this one because classic literature is rarely translated in a way the works well for our busy world. I you keep telling yourself that you would like to read this to benefit your own writing career, Jim and I think the time has finally come for you to do it!
Reviewed by Jim Cox for his Midwest Review newsletter and other Midwest publications
How to Tell a Story
Aristotle, author
Philip Freeman, translator
Princeton University Press
41 William Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
http://press.princeton.edu
9780691205274, $16.95, HC, 264pp
Synopsis: Handed down from ancient Greek literature, Aristotle's Poetics is arguably the most important book ever written for writers and readers of stories -- whether it be novels, short fiction, plays, screenplays, or nonfiction.
Aristotle (384-322 BC) was the first to identify the keys to plot, character, audience perception, tragic pleasure, and dozens of other critical points of good storytelling. Despite being written more than 2,000 years ago, the Poetics remains essential reading for anyone who wants to learn how to write a captivating story -- or understand how such stories work and achieve their psychological effects.
Yet for all its influence, the Poetics is too little read because it comes down to us in a form that is often difficult to follow, and even the best translations are geared more to specialists than to general readers who simply want to grasp Aristotle's profound and practical insights.
With the publication of "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" ably translated into English for an American readership by Philip Freeman contemporary and aspiring authors and readers are provided with the most readable translation of the Poetics ever yet produced, making it an indispensable handbook that is more accessible, engaging, and useful than ever before.
In addition to its inviting and reliable translation, a commentary on each section, and the original Greek on facing pages, this edition of "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" features unique bullet points, chapter headings, and section numbers to help guide readers through Aristotle's unmatched introduction to the art of writing and reading stories.
Critique: A complete course of Aristotelean instruction that is impressively 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" must be considered essential reading by anyone aspiring to write stories that would be successfully attractive to an author's intended audience. This splendid edition from the Princeton University Press is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Literary Studies collections and as a textbook for creative writing workshops curriculums.
It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, aspiring (and experienced) writers that "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note #1: Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Lyceum, the Peripatetic school of philosophy, and the Aristotelian tradition.
Editorial Note #2: Philip Freeman is the author of more than twenty books on the ancient world, including the Cicero translations How to Think about God, How to Be a Friend, How to Grow Old, and How to Run a Country (all from Princeton University Press). He also holds the Fletcher Jones Chair in Humanities at Pepperdine University.
Watch for the 3rd Edition coming in September!
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