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Francine Prose Books

1 book·~10 min total read

Francine Prose is an American novelist, essayist, and critic. She has written numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, including the National Book Award finalist 'Blue Angel'.

Known for: Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them

Books by Francine Prose

Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them

Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them

writing·10 min read

In this acclaimed guide, novelist and critic Francine Prose invites readers to slow down and rediscover the pleasures of close reading. Drawing on examples from classic and modern literature, she demonstrates how careful attention to words, sentences, and structure can deepen one’s appreciation of great writing and improve one’s own craft. The book serves both as a celebration of literature and a practical manual for aspiring writers.

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Key Insights from Francine Prose

1

Words

Every writer must fall in love with words — not in the abstract, but in their living forms, their textures and tones. A single word can carry centuries of history, a universe of emotion, or the faintest note of irony. When I talk about diction, I don't mean simply choosing the 'right' word, as if th...

From Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them

2

Sentences

If words are the heartbeat of fiction, sentences are its breath. Every sentence is an act of decision — about rhythm, tempo, emphasis, and silence. A sentence has music: its length and structure determine how it moves through the reader’s ear and mind. Henry James once praised the sentence as the wr...

From Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them

About Francine Prose

Francine Prose is an American novelist, essayist, and critic. She has written numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, including the National Book Award finalist 'Blue Angel'. A former president of PEN American Center, she is known for her insightful literary criticism and her teaching of creative ...

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Francine Prose is an American novelist, essayist, and critic. She has written numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, including the National Book Award finalist 'Blue Angel'. A former president of PEN American Center, she is known for her insightful literary criticism and her teaching of creative writing.

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Francine Prose is an American novelist, essayist, and critic. She has written numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, including the National Book Award finalist 'Blue Angel'.

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