pages to mark when I buy this title: xv, xvi, 13, 117, 225, 257, 264, 268 -9, 271, 272 (entered 11.19.23)
tag 'Powells' means I saw author at reading there ( )

The title of Francine Prose's 2018 collection of essays “What to Read and Why” suggests it might be one of those books suggesting which books you really must read before you die. Fortunately that is not the case, although it does make one wonder about the reason for the title. Was the title Prose's choice or something forced upon her by her publisher?

In any case, her book consists mostly of book reviews, magazine articles and introductions written for new editions of classic books. Her comments are almost entirely positive, so a reader might use the book as a kind of checklist, but had that been her intent, she no doubt would have included many other books. She does include just such a list at the back of another of her books, “Reading Like a Writer.”

Two of the books Prose writes about are less about "what to read" than "what to look at." These are photograph collections by Diane Arbus and Helen Levitt. Her analysis of their pictures is as impressive as her dissection of various works of prose.

These books are a diverse lot, from traditional classics like “Little Women,” “Great Expectations” and “Pride and Prejudice,” to works by more contemporary writers such as Charles Baxter and Stanley Elkin. She praises short stories by the likes of Mavis Gallant and Elizabeth Taylor, as well as some nonfiction books.

Three of the best essays in the volume are not about particular books or particular authors. In one, "Ten Things That Art Can Do," she argues that "it is neither the responsibility nor the purpose of art to make us better human beings." It can, however, help us understand what it means to be human beings, she says. It can also move us, transport us through time and give us pleasure, among other things.

In "On Clarity," she argues that clarity in writing is not just a literary quality but a spiritual one, because it involves compassion for the reader.

Then in "What Makes a Short Story?" she reflects on the puzzling truth that the short story defies simple definition. Although Anton Chekov does not have an entire essay devoted to him, he pops up frequently in Prose's book, especially in this chapter.

Francine Prose the reader impresses as much as Francine Prose the writer. In “What to Read and Why,” we get a good taste of both. ( )

*E-ARC received from Edelweiss/Above the Treeline in exchange for an honest review. No money or other goods were exchanged, and all views are my own.*

In her newest offering following the best-selling Reading Like a Writer, author, critic and teacher Francine Prose collects essays that show her breadth as a reader and reviewer.

Some of the essays were previously published as introductions to volumes, such as Middlemarch and Frankenstein. Others read like critical essays, reviewing books and dissecting sentences with no worries about spoiling books (and sometimes even quoting the very last sentence). And still others reflect on reading or writing in general. My personal favorites were either on authors or books that I've read - Jane Austen, Little Women - or the ones that focused more broadly on reading and writing - "On Clarity" and "Ten Things That Art Can Do." These were the sorts of essays I would aspire to write in my journal and personal papers, the ones in which I can think about a story the way I did as an English major, to parse sentences and ponder meaning and not worry if anyone else reading my review had read the book (or short story) or not. Prose would occasionally write a sentence that had me highlighting and nodding in agreement while she perfectly encapsulated a thought or observation. For example: "For it seems to be the particular fate of female artist suicides - Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath naturally come to mind - that self-murder lends a sort of romantic and even ghoulish luster to their reputations and causes their art to be seen, selectively and often inaccurately, through the narrow prism of the manner in which they died." She does precisely what she set out to do in this collection, and does it well.

Why then does this book not have a permanent place on my bookshelves? In short, because the writer and I are not kindred spirits. The title of "What to read and why" says to me that she's going to recommend some books - and she does - but what she looks for and what I look for in a stellar read are two very different things. I mentioned that she does not avoid spoilers in her bookish discussions; I tend to read such introductions after I've read the book to avoid them. That being said, there was only one essay (the one on Frankenstein) that discussed a book that I really intended to read and cared about not knowing some of the plot details, leading me to skip some portions so I wouldn't know too much when and if I get to that classic. Most of the books, I found, she loved for the writer's craft and ability to address some aspect of the human conditions through his or her characters. They were often bleak in tone. Though I certainly appreciate a nice sentence or turn of phrase, I read mostly for characters that in some sense I like, relate to, or at the very least care about in some sense. I want a hopeful if not entirely optimistic tone, and to be taken away rather than reminded of the quotidian at its darkest. Her erudite observations would be of most interest to academics and those who share her wide-ranging library from the classics to Manhattan Beach to collections of photography to Exit West. I did, however, make a note of one of Mavis Gallant's collections of short stories after reading the essay on her works, and I think Prose would be proud to know her writing had that tangible effect. 5 stars for execution, 3.5 stars for my own enjoyment. ( )

Bestselling author and literary critic Francine Prose tells us What to Read and Why in the book of the same name. The book is composed of a collection of essays on various pieces of literature. It is interesting in that it doesn’t just jump to the classic canon and stay there; it goes to some more modern writers as well, which is apparently a section of knowledge that I am lacking in. For instance, I have never heard of one of the people prominently featured in an essay, Mavis Gallant. Apparently, she was a writer in the same magazines as John Updike but never received his recognition.

So a lot of the essays discuss being transported to another world through the power of imagination or the attempt to find beauty in fiction. All of the essays have been printed before in other books. A few of them were the opening essays to classic works like Frankenstein or New Grub Street.

Through the essays, we find challenging pieces of art that reward closer looks. With deep meanings and timeless scenarios, literature is a difficult thing to top in many cases. We all have heard the story of The Creature from Frankenstein, but do we really know it? Do we know the underlying philosophy of restoring life to an inanimate corpse? Such works become a cultural touchstone in more ways than one. This waters down the meaning for the masses which is really unfortunate. I mean, as I write this review I can imagine Dr. Victor Frankenstein from the 1933 movie screaming in elation at his success. I can’t remember anything in particular about the book except that I have read it. Granted, I was a Junior in High School when I read Frankenstein, but maybe I should revisit it all the same.

This book is inspirational in that it spurs me to look for such things beyond the ordinary drivel published in magazines and newspapers today. However, it also makes it difficult for many to make good works. There is also an essay in the book that champions clarity in writing. This essay is one of my favorites from this collection. The other ones I enjoyed were mentioned prior to this. The book was enjoyable and interesting. I do like being introduced to newer writers, but I don’t really seem to read a lot of fiction. I should change that up and do something about it. ( )