Riassunto
Riassunto di Saggi e racconti moderni
A chi è rivolto
This book suits readers who love to browse, teachers and students of composition, and anyone who enjoys a dog, a ghost story, a country walk or an old city street told by a writer with a distinct voice.
Che cos’è questo libro
Modern Essays and Stories is an anthology put together by Frederick Houk Law for students of English. It gathers some thirty pieces by writers of the early twentieth century and sets each one beside a short note, questions for study, a list of subjects for imitation and directions for writing. The editor's aim is plain. He wants readers to enjoy good prose and then to try writing in the same spirit.
The book opens with an introduction in ten short sections. Five of them deal with the essay, and five with the short story. The essay, Law says, is a short, informal and personal piece of writing. It reveals its writer more than it explains its subject. The short story is brief, aims at one strong impression, and feels true to life. After that come the selections, grouped by kind: familiar essays, a legendary story, biographical essays, a historical tale, story essays, adventure, didactic and critical essays, poetic prose, letters, and a symbolic story. Let us begin with what Law says an essay is.
In questo riassunto
- 1An essay shows the writer, not the subjectFree
- 2Essays have types and a long history
- 3A short story aims at one strong effect
- 4How the short story grew, and Poe's five principles
- 5Familiar essays: small subjects and warm voices
- 6Stories of the strange: a wolf, a legend and a rescue
- 7Lives and voices: biography, letters and memory
- 8Didactic and critical essays that argue and advise
- 9How the anthology teaches you to write
Punto chiave 1 di 9
An essay shows the writer, not the subject
Law begins with a picture of a plowman whistling in a furrowed field. The man whistles because he is happy and busy, not to teach anyone anything. Law says many fine essays began in the same way, as self-expression for its own sake.
He points to Montaigne in the sixteenth century, Charles Lamb in the early nineteenth and Robert Louis Stevenson close to our own time. Each wrote about memories, friends and places he loved. Law adds that anyone who writes a rambling, gossipy letter has started an essay, so everyone is a natural essayist.
The essayist is like a good talker. He has no single story to tell and no rules to follow. He may drift into an anecdote, a joke or a description of a scene if the mood suits him. His only duty is to speak frankly and fully.
Law contrasts this with a textbook chapter. A textbook covers a subject in logical order and may tell you nothing about its author. An essay includes only what interests the writer, and its real subject is his personality. That is why, in Law's view, a good essay is short. Self-revelation comes in flashes.
For a reader, this sets the right expectation. The pieces that follow are meant to be enjoyed as conversation, and you may judge each one by how well it lets you meet the person behind it.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Questions about Saggi e racconti moderni
What is Modern Essays and Stories about?
It is a school anthology of essays, short stories and other prose from the early twentieth century. Frederick Houk Law introduces the essay and the short story, then offers selections with study questions and directions for writing.
Who are the authors in Modern Essays and Stories?
They include Chesterton, Theodore Roosevelt, H. G. Wells, Algernon Blackwood, Anzia Yezierska, Henry Van Dyke, Agnes Repplier, Brander Matthews and William Rose Benét, among many others.
What is the difference between an essay and a short story in this book?
Law says an essay is short, informal and personal, and reveals its writer more than its subject. A short story is brief, complete in itself, true to life, and aims at one strong effect on the reader.
Is Modern Essays and Stories easy to read?
Most pieces are short and written in a lively, plain style, each with a distinct voice. You can read one piece at a time and in any order.
What is the main message of the book?
Good writing comes from real interest and a real voice. Law holds that readers learn best by enjoying fine essays and stories and then writing about what they know, using the examples as models.