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فن الكتابة
تبدو عمليات الكشف في فلسفة الجمالِ -والتي يتراءى للبعض أنّ وجودها حتميٌّ بالنسبةِ لجلال الفَنّ- موضع شكّ يتفاقمُ كلما زادت حِدّة ما نعانيه من جهل. أمّا تلك الحيل الواعية وغير الواعية التي يبدو أنّه لا يليق بالفَنّانِ الجاد أن يستخدمها؛ إذا استطعنا ردّها إلى منابعها الأولى، فليست إلّا دلائل رهافة حِسٍّ أجمل مما نتخيّل، وإشارات إلى ما تحظى به الطبيعة من انسجام ممعن في القِدم. هذا جهلٌ عُضال؛ إذْ لن نُدرك أبداً سرّ عذوبة الجمال، لأنّه يستقرُّ بعيداً في أعماقِ الطبيعة، وفي الأغوارِ السحيقة للتاريخ الإنسانيّ الغامض. وبالتالي فلن يتعلّم الهواة دائماً ورغماً عنهم إلّا تفاصيل المنهج الّذي يُمكن صياغته في عباراتٍ مُحدَّدة، لكن يستحيل شرحه بالتفصيل كاملاً.
نرى كثيرين شديدي الحساسيّة تجاه أي كشفٍ جديدٍ من شأنه التقليل من حرارة لذّتهم. لذلك، لابد أن أحذِّر هذه النوعيّة الشّائعة من البشر والقارئ العادي من أنّي مُقبلٌ هُنا على العمل الأشدّ سماجة: إذْ سأُنزل اللوحة من فوق الحائط وأتفحَّص ما يوجد في الخلف، بل، مثل طفلٍ كثير الأسئلة، سأفكّها إلى قطعٍ صغيرة
نرى كثيرين شديدي الحساسيّة تجاه أي كشفٍ جديدٍ من شأنه التقليل من حرارة لذّتهم. لذلك، لابد أن أحذِّر هذه النوعيّة الشّائعة من البشر والقارئ العادي من أنّي مُقبلٌ هُنا على العمل الأشدّ سماجة: إذْ سأُنزل اللوحة من فوق الحائط وأتفحَّص ما يوجد في الخلف، بل، مثل طفلٍ كثير الأسئلة، سأفكّها إلى قطعٍ صغيرة
88 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1905
182 people are currently reading
838 people want to read
About the author
Robert Louis Stevenson
6,911 books6,970 followersRobert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of English literature. He was greatly admired by many authors, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling and Vladimir Nabokov.
Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their narrow definition of literature. It is only recently that critics have begun to look beyond Stevenson's popularity and allow him a place in the Western canon.
Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their narrow definition of literature. It is only recently that critics have begun to look beyond Stevenson's popularity and allow him a place in the Western canon.
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August 28, 2021
"إن أغلب الكتب المؤثرة؛ والأصدق أثراً، هي الروايات والقصص. فهي لا تلزم القارئ بعقيدة سيكتشف عدم دقتها لاحقاً لا محالة؛ ولا تلقنه درساً سينساه حتماً فيما بعد، بل هي تحترم وتعيد ترتيب وتفسّر دروس الحياة، وتحررنا من نفوسنا، وترغمنا على معرفة الآخرين. كما تظهر لنا نسيج الخبرات، لا كما نراه نحن، بل بتغيير فرید تختفي فيه الأنا القبيحة الشرهة ولو إلى حين. وكي تحظى بتلك الصفات، عليها أن تكون مخلصة إلى حد معقول للكوميديا الإنسانية، ولأي عمل فيه فائدة تثقيفية."
January 13, 2019
This collection, by Robert Louis Stevenson, contains seven essays of which the first two are much longer than the others. The first essay ‘On Some Technical Elements of Style in Literature’ is somewhat boring as there’s nothing really new to learn that other writers haven’t discussed more clearly. Stevenson distinguishes between prose and verse, and then continues by using the following four classifications 1- Choice of Words, 2- The Web, 3- Rhythm of the Phrase, 4- Contents of the Phrase’ to discuss further the elements of style in writing.
It is in the second essay ‘The Morality of the Profession of Letters’ that the collection became alive, with passages like:
– and this was published back in 1912! Even then, successful writers struggled with the question of earning a living as a writer. Another passage:
where he then discusses what and how writers should write based on their experiences and the pursuit of truth in literature.
In the third essay, ‘Books Which Have Influenced Me’, after mentioning books that have influenced him and briefly explaining why Stevenson quickly discusses reading:
Here he elaborates on the changes of opinion we may undergo through reading:
He elaborated on readers who have a dogma different from that of the writer and the possible metamorphosis they may undergo depending on how the writer structures his/her thoughts into writing and how far he/she pursues the truth as he/she perceives it.
In the shorter, fourth essay ‘A Note on Realism’, Stevenson discusses the change in the literature that occurred “by the admission of the detail”. And with the following:
– he goes on to explain the process writers undergo from ideas in the head to execution on paper and focuses between the ‘ideal’ and the ‘real’.
In the last three essays, which decrease in length progressively, the focus shifts from the abstract and/or technical to the personal. Stevenson discusses his first novel – Treasure Island – in ‘My First Book’, how it came about, the work it entailed, the joy he had of drawing the map first and then writing the story only to have the map lost when he sent the manuscript to the publisher; he then had to redraw it by reading his story first (and then redrawing it accordingly). Despite it all, he never thought he’d write a novel simply because the length of such a work is taxing, but he did it and continued to write other novels then. In Master of Ballantrae (the novel discussed in the last 2 essays) he shares how the idea for that novel came about and the discussions he had with his publisher.
All in all, for a book published in 1912 and a writer who was prolific in the literature (despite dying suddenly at the young age of 44), this is quite a collection revealing Stevenson’s thoughts and processes regarding writers, readers, and his own work. It can be read by writers who seek knowledge in ‘The Art of Writing’ as a supplement, but it can also be read by the general reader interested in understanding the mind of a great writer.
It is in the second essay ‘The Morality of the Profession of Letters’ that the collection became alive, with passages like:
A writer can live by his writing. If not so luxuriously as by other trades, then less luxuriously. The nature of the work he does all day will more affect his happiness than the quality of his dinner at night.
– and this was published back in 1912! Even then, successful writers struggled with the question of earning a living as a writer. Another passage:
There are two duties incumbent upon any man who enters on the business of writing: truth to the fact and a good spirit in treatment.
where he then discusses what and how writers should write based on their experiences and the pursuit of truth in literature.
In the third essay, ‘Books Which Have Influenced Me’, after mentioning books that have influenced him and briefly explaining why Stevenson quickly discusses reading:
The gift of reading, as I have called it, is not very common, nor very generally understood.
Here he elaborates on the changes of opinion we may undergo through reading:
A human truth, which is always very much a lie, hides as much of life as it displays. It is men who hold another truth, or, as it seems to us, perhaps, a dangerous lie, who can extend our restricted field of knowledge, and rouse our drowsy consciousness.
He elaborated on readers who have a dogma different from that of the writer and the possible metamorphosis they may undergo depending on how the writer structures his/her thoughts into writing and how far he/she pursues the truth as he/she perceives it.
In the shorter, fourth essay ‘A Note on Realism’, Stevenson discusses the change in the literature that occurred “by the admission of the detail”. And with the following:
This method of realism, let it then be clearly understood, regards not in the least degree the fundamental truth, but only the technical method, of a work of art.
– he goes on to explain the process writers undergo from ideas in the head to execution on paper and focuses between the ‘ideal’ and the ‘real’.
In the last three essays, which decrease in length progressively, the focus shifts from the abstract and/or technical to the personal. Stevenson discusses his first novel – Treasure Island – in ‘My First Book’, how it came about, the work it entailed, the joy he had of drawing the map first and then writing the story only to have the map lost when he sent the manuscript to the publisher; he then had to redraw it by reading his story first (and then redrawing it accordingly). Despite it all, he never thought he’d write a novel simply because the length of such a work is taxing, but he did it and continued to write other novels then. In Master of Ballantrae (the novel discussed in the last 2 essays) he shares how the idea for that novel came about and the discussions he had with his publisher.
All in all, for a book published in 1912 and a writer who was prolific in the literature (despite dying suddenly at the young age of 44), this is quite a collection revealing Stevenson’s thoughts and processes regarding writers, readers, and his own work. It can be read by writers who seek knowledge in ‘The Art of Writing’ as a supplement, but it can also be read by the general reader interested in understanding the mind of a great writer.
February 26, 2018
Eseji velikih pisaca, posebna su vrsta zadovoljstva, tamo gde su oslobođeni očekivanja, sklonjenih čitalačkih reflektora i slobodni da pišu kako im volja, o čemu im volja, tamo ih najbolje upoznate.
Stivensonova pisanija lako i neumitno otkrivaju melanholičnog i dosadnjikavog čoveka, narušenog zdravlja od mladosti, prepuštenog introspekciji i unutrašnjim svetovima.
Takvo je i pisanje, s tim što je u ovoj kolekciji izmešano tako da može da zavara.
Naslovni esej, kao i nekoliko susednih, mogu da navedu na trag o tome da biste mogli da naučite kako valja pisati, ili kako doći do dobrog pisanja, ili kako pokupiti male tajne velikih majstora. Pa, iako to nije sasvim netačno, u tim spisima Stivenson je akademski opterećen, nedovoljno autentičan, i oivičen formom na svakom koraku. Nije mi se dopao.
Ali zato Stivenson koji šeta, Stivenson koji otkriva prirodu Engleske, ili vazduh Alpa, ili sela slikarskih kolonija, Stivenson je koji je na svom terenu, uživa, slobodan je, srećan nije, ne deluje da je ikada srećan bio, ali tek bez ljudi i van društva, sam sa sobom i okružen prirodom, taj Stivenson je divan, smiruje, opušta i iz rukava izvlači sjajne rečenice, velike misli, niotkuda, usred opisa pašnjaka, snega ili retkog planinskog vazduha. Taj Stivenson mi se dopao, jako.
Vraćaću se ovoj knjizi, čini mi se, u dugačkim intervalima i zimi vise no i u jednom drugom periodu.
Stivensonova pisanija lako i neumitno otkrivaju melanholičnog i dosadnjikavog čoveka, narušenog zdravlja od mladosti, prepuštenog introspekciji i unutrašnjim svetovima.
Takvo je i pisanje, s tim što je u ovoj kolekciji izmešano tako da može da zavara.
Naslovni esej, kao i nekoliko susednih, mogu da navedu na trag o tome da biste mogli da naučite kako valja pisati, ili kako doći do dobrog pisanja, ili kako pokupiti male tajne velikih majstora. Pa, iako to nije sasvim netačno, u tim spisima Stivenson je akademski opterećen, nedovoljno autentičan, i oivičen formom na svakom koraku. Nije mi se dopao.
Ali zato Stivenson koji šeta, Stivenson koji otkriva prirodu Engleske, ili vazduh Alpa, ili sela slikarskih kolonija, Stivenson je koji je na svom terenu, uživa, slobodan je, srećan nije, ne deluje da je ikada srećan bio, ali tek bez ljudi i van društva, sam sa sobom i okružen prirodom, taj Stivenson je divan, smiruje, opušta i iz rukava izvlači sjajne rečenice, velike misli, niotkuda, usred opisa pašnjaka, snega ili retkog planinskog vazduha. Taj Stivenson mi se dopao, jako.
Vraćaću se ovoj knjizi, čini mi se, u dugačkim intervalima i zimi vise no i u jednom drugom periodu.
February 18, 2021
فن الكتابة
لـ روبرت لويس ستيفنسون
اعتقد ان نقل كتاب يتحدث عن فن الكتابة باللغة الإنجليزية وترجمته الي العربية هو امر عسير، ولكن استطاع المترجم "مجدي عبد المجيد خاطر" ان ينقل المحتوي بدون اخفاق وبشكل دقيق، فحافظ بداخل الكتاب على المصطلحات المستخدمة في الادب الانجليزي مع التذييل عنها وشرحها، تقريباً هذا اول عمل لي مع هذا المترجم ولكنه لن يكون الأخير بكل تأكيد، فبعد انتهائي من الكتاب اول ما قومت به هو عمل بحث عن المترجم مجدي عبد المجيد خاطر لألقي نظره سريعة على باقي ترجماته.
أما عن الكتاب فهو يتحدث كما ذكرت عن فن الكتابة وادواتها ولكن بشكل محدد أكثر للأدب الانجليزي او للكتاب الانجليز، اذ يسهل على القارئ منذ بداية الكتاب ان يتوصل لنقطة ارتكاز الموضوع الاساسي.
ولكن ليس معني انه يتحدث عن الادب الانجليزي انه لا فائدة بداخله لمن يكتبون ويقرأون بالعربية مثلاً او غيرها من اللغات، على العكس تماما هناك الكثير من النقاط التي ذكرها الكاتب وأشار اليها المترجم تفيد كل من يكتب بأي لغة كانت حتى ان كانت السريانية.
روبرت لويس ستيفنسون، قلت من قبل اشعر بالامتنان للحظات التي اقرر فيها ان اسحب كتاب ما عشوائياً وابدأ في قرأته، واشعر كم انا سعيدة الحظ حينما يقع حظي على كتاب قيم لشخصية لم يكن لي علم مسبق بها بسبب الفراغ المعرفي الكبير الذي يلتهم عقلي كلما قرأت أكثر.
هي مقالات في فن الكتابة برغم ان النصائح والتقنيات موجهه بشكل اساسي الي الكتاب باللغة الإنجليزية الا انني استفدت بالكثير من النصائح التي شعرت بانها نصائح عامه وموحده على جميع اللغات.
وبجانب النصائح والحديث حول الكتابة بداخل هذا الكتاب ايضا وجدت أكثر من مقال يناقش فيها ستيفنسون اعمال له ويتحدث عن مراحل اكتمال الفكرة في مخيلته وبدء تنفيذها وما المراحل التي يمر بها والصعاب وغيرها من امور تحدث لمعظم الكتاب.
روبرت لويس ستيفنسون هو شاعر قبل ان يكون كاتب نثر لذلك وزن وشكل السطر والعبارات عنده تأخذ اهميه قصوى وهي عاده الشعراء، وهو كاتب رواية جزيرة الكنز وهو الامر الذي اثار دهشتي في الحقيقة فقد سبق وشاهدت المسلسل (الانمي) الرسوم المتحركة جزيرة الكنز ولم أكن اعلم بأن ستيفنسون هو كاتبها حتى اثناء قراءتي لهذا الكتاب لم اتوقع البتة ان هذا الكاتب الذي اقرأ له الان مقالات غاية في التعقيد وتحتاج دراسة وتحليل فعليا حول الكتابة هو نفس الشخص الذي كتب عمل مثل جزيرة الكنز وهو عمل موجهة للأطفال في المقام الأول.
في المجمل الكتاب قيم جداً برغم صغر حجمه فهو يقع تقريباً في 80 صفحة فقط، ولكنه يحتاج تأني وتركيز شديد لذلك اخذ مني أكثر من أسبوعين للانتهاء منه، وقد حصلت عليه مع مجلة الدوحة وهي من أقرب المجلات الورقية الي قلبي.
التقييم العام
٤ نجوم من أصل خمسه نجوم
لـ روبرت لويس ستيفنسون
اعتقد ان نقل كتاب يتحدث عن فن الكتابة باللغة الإنجليزية وترجمته الي العربية هو امر عسير، ولكن استطاع المترجم "مجدي عبد المجيد خاطر" ان ينقل المحتوي بدون اخفاق وبشكل دقيق، فحافظ بداخل الكتاب على المصطلحات المستخدمة في الادب الانجليزي مع التذييل عنها وشرحها، تقريباً هذا اول عمل لي مع هذا المترجم ولكنه لن يكون الأخير بكل تأكيد، فبعد انتهائي من الكتاب اول ما قومت به هو عمل بحث عن المترجم مجدي عبد المجيد خاطر لألقي نظره سريعة على باقي ترجماته.
أما عن الكتاب فهو يتحدث كما ذكرت عن فن الكتابة وادواتها ولكن بشكل محدد أكثر للأدب الانجليزي او للكتاب الانجليز، اذ يسهل على القارئ منذ بداية الكتاب ان يتوصل لنقطة ارتكاز الموضوع الاساسي.
ولكن ليس معني انه يتحدث عن الادب الانجليزي انه لا فائدة بداخله لمن يكتبون ويقرأون بالعربية مثلاً او غيرها من اللغات، على العكس تماما هناك الكثير من النقاط التي ذكرها الكاتب وأشار اليها المترجم تفيد كل من يكتب بأي لغة كانت حتى ان كانت السريانية.
روبرت لويس ستيفنسون، قلت من قبل اشعر بالامتنان للحظات التي اقرر فيها ان اسحب كتاب ما عشوائياً وابدأ في قرأته، واشعر كم انا سعيدة الحظ حينما يقع حظي على كتاب قيم لشخصية لم يكن لي علم مسبق بها بسبب الفراغ المعرفي الكبير الذي يلتهم عقلي كلما قرأت أكثر.
هي مقالات في فن الكتابة برغم ان النصائح والتقنيات موجهه بشكل اساسي الي الكتاب باللغة الإنجليزية الا انني استفدت بالكثير من النصائح التي شعرت بانها نصائح عامه وموحده على جميع اللغات.
وبجانب النصائح والحديث حول الكتابة بداخل هذا الكتاب ايضا وجدت أكثر من مقال يناقش فيها ستيفنسون اعمال له ويتحدث عن مراحل اكتمال الفكرة في مخيلته وبدء تنفيذها وما المراحل التي يمر بها والصعاب وغيرها من امور تحدث لمعظم الكتاب.
روبرت لويس ستيفنسون هو شاعر قبل ان يكون كاتب نثر لذلك وزن وشكل السطر والعبارات عنده تأخذ اهميه قصوى وهي عاده الشعراء، وهو كاتب رواية جزيرة الكنز وهو الامر الذي اثار دهشتي في الحقيقة فقد سبق وشاهدت المسلسل (الانمي) الرسوم المتحركة جزيرة الكنز ولم أكن اعلم بأن ستيفنسون هو كاتبها حتى اثناء قراءتي لهذا الكتاب لم اتوقع البتة ان هذا الكاتب الذي اقرأ له الان مقالات غاية في التعقيد وتحتاج دراسة وتحليل فعليا حول الكتابة هو نفس الشخص الذي كتب عمل مثل جزيرة الكنز وهو عمل موجهة للأطفال في المقام الأول.
في المجمل الكتاب قيم جداً برغم صغر حجمه فهو يقع تقريباً في 80 صفحة فقط، ولكنه يحتاج تأني وتركيز شديد لذلك اخذ مني أكثر من أسبوعين للانتهاء منه، وقد حصلت عليه مع مجلة الدوحة وهي من أقرب المجلات الورقية الي قلبي.
التقييم العام
٤ نجوم من أصل خمسه نجوم
August 8, 2020
It is a bit of a difficult read. Stevenson likes to dress up his language, which makes many of the passages wordy and inelegant. I found it to be more of a pep talk to himself.
June 6, 2019
Do not get me wrong: Robert Louis Stevenson is an exceptional writer and one of the all-time classics. The three-star rating is because of the first two thirds of this collection.
In the first few essays, Stevenson speaks intelligently but in a way that outright refuses to be plain. The language and references he employs to establish the qualities of a true 'reader' may well have been appropriate for his time and peers but it does not speak to me, a reader years in the future. Indeed I soon became fed up with Stevenson's borderline pretension and casual dismissal of his contemporaries.
However the final third of this collection reinstated my initial enthusiasm at reading Stevenson's thoughts on the craft. My favourite essay is the one in which he shares the backstory of Treasure Island and how maps were so important to that conception. Not only was it a much easier read, the subject matter stimulated my own interest in the small particulars of a creative process.
It is certainly possible that I did not connect with Stevenson's essays because of his archaic style. Maybe I have been spoiled by the likes of Stephen King's On Writing which speaks honestly and accessibly about putting pen to paper. Nevertheless this book did not quite reach me.
I think it might be better enjoyed by avid readers of Stevenson and those at ease with the way that classic authors often express themselves.
In the first few essays, Stevenson speaks intelligently but in a way that outright refuses to be plain. The language and references he employs to establish the qualities of a true 'reader' may well have been appropriate for his time and peers but it does not speak to me, a reader years in the future. Indeed I soon became fed up with Stevenson's borderline pretension and casual dismissal of his contemporaries.
However the final third of this collection reinstated my initial enthusiasm at reading Stevenson's thoughts on the craft. My favourite essay is the one in which he shares the backstory of Treasure Island and how maps were so important to that conception. Not only was it a much easier read, the subject matter stimulated my own interest in the small particulars of a creative process.
It is certainly possible that I did not connect with Stevenson's essays because of his archaic style. Maybe I have been spoiled by the likes of Stephen King's On Writing which speaks honestly and accessibly about putting pen to paper. Nevertheless this book did not quite reach me.
I think it might be better enjoyed by avid readers of Stevenson and those at ease with the way that classic authors often express themselves.
April 29, 2020
ينبغي على الكاتب أن يتأكد من توافق ما يعرفه كل إنسان مع حقائق الحياة؛ وأن هذا الإنسان لن يتخيل نفسه ملاكا ولا وحشا، وأنه لن يتعامل مع هذا العالم باعتباره جحيما، ولن يشق على نفسه فيعتقد أن كافة الحقوق تتمركز في طائفته أو بلاده، أو أن سائر الحقائق محصورة في عقيدته الضيقة، على كل إنسان أن يعرف حقيقته حتى يجتهد لإصلاحها، وربما معرفة ما ينقصه إلى مراعاة الآخرين.
...
روبرت لويس ستيفنسون، أحد أهم الكتاب في التاريخ، يتحدث عن فن الكتابة، وعن بعض أعماله، النفس الطويل الذي تحتاجه الرواية، الفرق بين الشعر والنثر، الأدب الجيد والأدب الرديء، واجب الكاتب الذي يريد أن يكون محنكا، الدقة تلعب دوراً هاماً، لعنة التحيز التي يهاجمها ستيفنسون، فلا أحد يملك الحقيقة المطلقة، والمرونة تمنح الإنسان القدرة على اكتساب معرفة إضافية، حين ينفتح على الأفكار المخالفة، أيضا يهاجم زولا والمدرسة الطبيعية بقوة، يعرض للأعمال التي أثرت فيه، اهمية الكتابة وجدواها، رواية جزيرة الكنز، المعاناة في إنهاء الرواية، ماذا لو توقف الإلهام في المنتصف، كيف يعود الشغف؟ كل هذا وأكثر في كتاب ممتع وجميل، لعملاق من عمالقة الأدب.
...
روبرت لويس ستيفنسون، أحد أهم الكتاب في التاريخ، يتحدث عن فن الكتابة، وعن بعض أعماله، النفس الطويل الذي تحتاجه الرواية، الفرق بين الشعر والنثر، الأدب الجيد والأدب الرديء، واجب الكاتب الذي يريد أن يكون محنكا، الدقة تلعب دوراً هاماً، لعنة التحيز التي يهاجمها ستيفنسون، فلا أحد يملك الحقيقة المطلقة، والمرونة تمنح الإنسان القدرة على اكتساب معرفة إضافية، حين ينفتح على الأفكار المخالفة، أيضا يهاجم زولا والمدرسة الطبيعية بقوة، يعرض للأعمال التي أثرت فيه، اهمية الكتابة وجدواها، رواية جزيرة الكنز، المعاناة في إنهاء الرواية، ماذا لو توقف الإلهام في المنتصف، كيف يعود الشغف؟ كل هذا وأكثر في كتاب ممتع وجميل، لعملاق من عمالقة الأدب.
December 28, 2017
This slim little volume of 150 odd pages tells me a number of things. Firstly, that I will probably never be as good a writer as Robert Louis Stevenson. Secondly, that much of the craft he practised on his writing sails far above my head, so I still have a great deal to learn before I'm even able to sit on his footstool. And, thirdly, that it's pretty difficult to write a really entertaining book about writing. Stephen King managed it, quite brilliantly, in On Writing, but did so by virtue of melding autobiography with style manual. This collection of essays, written for disparate markets and different reasons, doesn't manage the unity that King achieved in his book, but it is very interesting for telling us Stevenson's views on various contemporary writers.
September 10, 2013
A collection of fairly dull essays that manages to somewhat redeem itself thanks to an excellent piece on the crafting of TREASURE ISLAND. Stevenson writes with great candor about the various struggles and self-doubts he had to face before finally achieving some degree of literary success. Wannabe writers will be motivated, and fans of Stevenson's work should find it very informative. I was especially interested to read about the numerous manuscripts Stevenson abandoned unfinished before actually managing to see one through to the end. It just goes to show that great writers are made, not born.
June 26, 2025
está muy bien si como su nombre indica: te interesa el arte de escribir.
son unos cuantos ensayos, el más tedioso es el primero, se me hizo insufrible no os voy a mentir, pero los demás me han gustado mucho, en parte por sentir que son aplicables a las artes plásticas y a mí misma como persona.
tiene un ensayo hablando sobre sus influencias literarias, lo que me ha hecho pensar ¿y si escribiese un post sobre mis influencias pictóricas? probablemente metería ilustradores de vocaloid, y no me daría ninguna vergüenza, porque como dice el autor: lo más importante de una obra literaria es que sea honesta. !!!
son unos cuantos ensayos, el más tedioso es el primero, se me hizo insufrible no os voy a mentir, pero los demás me han gustado mucho, en parte por sentir que son aplicables a las artes plásticas y a mí misma como persona.
tiene un ensayo hablando sobre sus influencias literarias, lo que me ha hecho pensar ¿y si escribiese un post sobre mis influencias pictóricas? probablemente metería ilustradores de vocaloid, y no me daría ninguna vergüenza, porque como dice el autor: lo más importante de una obra literaria es que sea honesta. !!!
May 3, 2012
Read because it's on the subject of a 'hobby' I love, (YLTO! 'S Getting to Know You challenge), and because it's old enough to be found on FreeBooks, this is a collection of essays on writing by Robert Louis Stevenson.
The first: On Some Technical Elements of Style in Literature, can be found in basically any book on writing, with perhaps less entertaining metaphor (juggling oranges), but definitely with easier to understand style.
The second: The Morality of the Profession of Letters, can be summed up in: "Those who work primarily for money don't have good writing," and is true of just about every profession.
The third: Books Which Have Influenced Me, is interesting because it suggests other books people might want to read.
The fourth: A Note on Realism, is exactly that.
The fifth: My First Book: Treasure Island, is information as to how Stevenson came up with Treasure Island. I think when writers are asked "How do you come up with your ideas," what the questioner really means to ask is, "How did you come up with this idea? And that's what this answers.
The sixth: The Genesis of "The Master of Ballantrae", is about the same as the above.
The seventh: Preface to "The Master of Ballantrae", I think is meant to be part of "The Master of Ballantrae."
All in all, probably not worth a read in total. Though the last three and the third might be of interest to those who have read and liked his works, the others feel a bit too flowery, and by the time you decipher the language, you've lost interest in the message.
August 1, 2013
A well written book! I gave it a 2 out of 5 stars probably because I wasn't following what the author was communicating. I was lost in the long sentences and complex literature ideas. I think this will be really helpful to those who want to master writing and study the different styles and what not. The author quotes the great authors and poets of history and analyzes some of their methods and says why they are good or bad.
I will have to revisit this work once I've read more English literature and the concepts are more familiar.
One of the things that Stevenson highlight amidst all the deep English literature is that the writer is supposed to be truthful in anything that he writes.
He mentions two duties of all writers being
1. True to the facts
2. Having a jolly spirit.
One of my favorite quotes from the entire books is “The total of a nation’s reading, in these days of daily papers, greatly modifies the total of the nation’s speech; and the speech and reading, taken together, form the efficient educational medium of youth” –Stevenson, pg. 16
What our children read is what they will become. Our educational standards have dropped because our academic standards have dropped. Raise the academic bar and see a growth in reading, speaking and learning!
I will have to revisit this work once I've read more English literature and the concepts are more familiar.
One of the things that Stevenson highlight amidst all the deep English literature is that the writer is supposed to be truthful in anything that he writes.
He mentions two duties of all writers being
1. True to the facts
2. Having a jolly spirit.
One of my favorite quotes from the entire books is “The total of a nation’s reading, in these days of daily papers, greatly modifies the total of the nation’s speech; and the speech and reading, taken together, form the efficient educational medium of youth” –Stevenson, pg. 16
What our children read is what they will become. Our educational standards have dropped because our academic standards have dropped. Raise the academic bar and see a growth in reading, speaking and learning!
February 17, 2021
Some excellent essays, some boring ones. They got gradually worse throughout the book. The first three or four were at least a 4/5, I found them very insightful and agreeable. But the second half of the book was a slog to get through and sadly this taints my overall memory of the book.
Stevenson also has the habit of being a snob and differentiating between ‘real writers’ and the rest which I found a bit annoying.
Stevenson also has the habit of being a snob and differentiating between ‘real writers’ and the rest which I found a bit annoying.
June 19, 2020
سبع مقالات كتبت في الربع الأخير من القرن ال١٩
مقالتان نقد للواقعية وفنيات الأسلوب الأدبي، والباقي بين الخواطر عن الكتب المفضلة والكتب الشخصية وأخلاقيات صنعة الأدب.
محتوى الكتاب غير مفيد للمماسة الكتابة، وأغلب الآراء ابنة عصرها، بعيدة عن العالم الحالي بأساليبه وتقنياته وتحرره.
مقالتان نقد للواقعية وفنيات الأسلوب الأدبي، والباقي بين الخواطر عن الكتب المفضلة والكتب الشخصية وأخلاقيات صنعة الأدب.
محتوى الكتاب غير مفيد للمماسة الكتابة، وأغلب الآراء ابنة عصرها، بعيدة عن العالم الحالي بأساليبه وتقنياته وتحرره.
June 14, 2020
كتاب أكثر من رائع!
January 5, 2014
Overall, I think these essays will mainly be of interest to other writers. Robert Louis Stevenson (RLS) even refers to this as he points to the possibility of impairing a reader's enjoyment if they should see behind the curtain. However it is possible for non-writers to appreciate literature all the more after reading these sage essays.
For myself, I love hearing about another writer's process, especially one with such a passion for writing as RLS. His ability to balance the soul and technical aspects of writing is truly magnificent. I remember years ago being so intrigued when I learned about his inspiration for the novel THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE. The idea that good and evil reside within every man he explores through Dr. Jekyll trying to quell that dark part of himself resulting in wreaking havoc in the form of Mr. Hyde. Beyond the heartbeat of this novel are all his other inspirations ~ one being where he resided. He could see from his living quarters a prosperous modern neighborhood right next to an old run-down neighborhood ~ side by side, it must have conjured up some interesting imagery that played into his creative process.
All that RLS shares in these essays boils down to what I felt as a child when I read my first work of serious literature (THE GOOD EARTH). I remember my "aha" moment as if it were only yesterday ~ I remember finally understanding what people meant when they referred to "literature." It was the WEIGHT and FLOW of just the right words that I was responding to ~ the story floated on and swam through those words effortlessly. RLS explains that when a work of literature is a pleasure to read, it is because of a myriad of things ~ one being the ever FLUID CHANGING of the STRUCTURE of sentences and paragraphs. A constant changing of the tide in the way words flow depending on what sounds you choose to highlight. It is based on a style built from philosophy and wit. And sounds. Each phrase in literature is built of sounds ~ just as each phrase of music consists of notes. The art of precisely using these phrases or notes is the final art of literature.
I love when RLS speaks of following the ADVENTURE OF A LETTER through any passage that is particularly pleasing. If you break down any passage that is a pleasure to read, it is because the writer has taken great effort to make it thus. The reason, he goes on to explain, is because literature is written by and for two senses: an internal ear that perceives unheard melodies and an eye which directs the pen and deciphers the phrases.
RLS goes onto say that the trick is to keep prose phrases large, rhythmical, and pleasing to the ear without ever allowing them to fall into the strictly metrical. He really brings home what a tremendous task it is take all the elements of language and form them into PHRASES THAT WEAVE THE MAIN ARGUMENT into TEXTURED and COMMITTED PHRASES. This is done by choosing apt, explicit, and communicative words. From his descriptions, anyone can see what an intricate affair it is to write any perfect passage ~ how there is scarcely a skill not exercised in this effort.
Next are MORALITY and the profession of writing. RLS states clearly that the most important tools for any writer are truth and sympathy. All writing should be first honest and second useful. And furthermore, no writer should write solely for profit ~ this only leads to literature that is empty and untrue. It touched me deeply how serious he estimated writing to be. After all, as he says, everything we know of good and evil in the world primarily comes from the handiwork of writers. I'll be musing this one for years to come.
RLS speaks of TRUTH being perverted or suppressed as if he were alive today. He speaks of finding two journals of differing political views openly garbling a piece of news for the benefit of its own party. He declares that the real tragedy is that we smile at the discovery as if it is just a joke or a pardonable strategy. And poignantly he says that lying so open is scarce lying, it is true. We teach our children to be truthful ~ yet how do we reconcile our open approval of public falsehoods.
RLS believed there were two duties incumbent to anyone entering the writing profession: TRUTH TO THE FACT and a GOOD SPIRIT IN TREATMENT. He supposes that to omit anything that you believe to be true may be the very thing someone is needing. And this made me think of how many things I have read over the years that have resonated with me on such a deep level. What if just one of them had not written what they felt to be true? What a loss it would be if they had not dared. And, then I wonder what we'll never hear expressed because someone never dared. What someone now is not daring to say that I need to hear. What someone needs to see. Perhaps, what we all need to understand.
One of my favorite RLS observations is in regard to THE SUBJECT OF ANY WORK being SECONDARY TO HOW THE AUTHOR SEES THE WORLD (and through this lens expresses the subject at hand). This is just as it is in the visual arts ~ the subject matter is secondary to how it is expressed. Literature as in art is about communicating universal truths, not just about this person or that naked tree. This is where masterpieces reside. So much time is spent on trying to find unique ideas to write about when in fact it is always more about expressing how you see the world in whatever medium you choose. One of my favorite quotes on writing is from Virginia Woolf and what she says is that you can't tell the truth about others until you can tell it about yourself. This is the true value of literature and art ~ the expression of how we see this world. As RLS puts it, it is a far more perilous thing to be untrue than immoral. To conceal an opinion, if you are sure you hold it, is to take liberties with the truth. There is probably no point of view expressed truthfully that isn't profitable to someone somewhere.
And on this subject, RLS has a lot to say. But, this was one of my favorite quotes on the matter within his essays: I am not afraid of the TRUTH, if anyone could tell it me, I am afraid of parts of it impertinently uttered.
Here is another RLS quote ~ this one on masterpieces: There is a time to dance and a time to mourn; to be harsh as well as to be sentimental; to be ascetic as well as to glorify the appetites; and if a man were to combine all these extremes into his work, each in its place and proportion, that work would be the world’s MASTERPIECE of morality as well as of art.
I truly loved reading the chapter on BOOKS THAT INFLUENCED RLS. I know for myself that so many books feel like such a part of me and in some way raised me as much as my own parents (maybe even more at times). He talks of Shakespeare and how few living friends had upon him an influence so strong. He speaks of other authors and of books that breathed every beautiful and valuable emotion. He speaks of books where their influence was profound and silent and how he drank them like water and was the better for it, yet he know not how. He suggests reading passages from the Bible freshly as like a book, not droningly and dully like a portion of the Bible. And, he can't help but mention Walt Whitman's LEAVES OF GRASS (also one of my favorites). This book tumbled the world upside down for him and blew into space a thousand cobwebs of genteel and ethical illusion and having thus shaken his tabernacle of lies, set him back again upon a strong foundation of all the original and manly virtues.
Now, after speaking of his reaction to Walt Whitman, he speaks of readers. More specifically, those that have the GIFT OF READING. The gift of reading as RLS saw it was a combination of intellect and an open mind. While passionately holding beliefs or dogmas, a gifted reader is able see the other side of propositions and virtues. If something seems very false or dangerous to a reader and he tries to see what it means or what truth excuses it, he has the gift of reading. If he feels hurt or offended, he will never be a reader. He poignantly points out for writers that when words fall into the hands of a genuine reader, they will be weighed and winnowed, and only that which suits the reader will be assimilated. When they fall into the hands of one who cannot intelligently read, they come silently and inarticulate, falling upon deaf ears, and his secret is kept as if he had never written it at all. This struck me as spot on.
He speaks to writing and reading character by stating that the angry picture of human faults is not great art. We can all be angry with our neighbor; what we want is to be shown his MERITS TO WHICH WE ARE TOO BLIND and not his DEFECTS OF WHICH WE ARE TOO CONSCIOUS. From here he touches on what a writer needs to put in and what he needs to leave out ~ what is necessary and what is purely ornamental. He also speaks to the difference between realism and idealism.
He then dives into his inspiration and experience writing TREASURE ISLAND. He speaks of making a map of an island one day and naming it "Treasure Island." Upon this map characters started to appear. He then started writing out chapters. He had an idea for a character named John Silver ~ he took an admired friend and deprived him of his finer qualities and higher graces and left him with nothing but his strength, courage, quickness, and magnificent geniality. He expounded that this psychical surgery is very common when creating characters, indeed it is the only way. We must take people we know and or have met and graft secondary or imaginary qualities as well as cutting away the needless limbs of his nature.
RLS touches on different aspects of his book belonging to different books like the parrot belonging to ROBINSON CRUSOE, the skeleton from POE, the stockade from MASTERMAN READY, Billy Bones and his chest as well as the company in the parlor were all the property of WASHINGTON IRVING. The lesson being that none of us live in a vacuum and we are all influenced not only by our direct experiences but also by the things we read. All writers and artists borrow. Not intentionally, it's just that some things resonate with us and stay with us and then these things surface when creating new works. Often times, with some effort, we know of whence they come, but other times we may be completely unaware. Again, the subject matter is secondary, how the author expresses it is key. You can ask 100 writers to write about a yellow parrot living on a purple moon that plays the violin while he's waiting for a ride home. And no two writers will write the same story in exactly the same way about this violin playing parrot on the moon. The value is in the expression and not in the parrot.
It's amazing that TREASURE ISLAND just flowed from RLS at first ~ 15 chapters in 15 days. And then on the 16th chapter, he got stuck. So he thought of other things and buried himself in the work of others. And then when he sat down one morning, it just flowed and he finished the novel. I've never been one to have writer's block, I am more someone that has too many ideas and the challenge for me is to let go of most of them. To remedy this, I do something very similar and that is to imagine putting what I need to figure out into a certain part of my head and then just forget about it. Let my subconscious do its thing and it always comes up with what to do. An important lesson in letting go I think.
RLS concludes this section with speaking of the MAP that was the inspiration for the novel. He sent it in to his publisher with the manuscript pages but it was lost in transit. This was a very hard pill to swallow for RLS. He stated that it was a far different thing to create a map and then write a book inspired by that map then to create a map based on all the pieces of a novel. Oh, what a headache ~ I know this was more than a hundred years ago, but I can feel his pain this many years later. For myself, I've always liked creating something else when working on a story ~ sometimes it's a map, sometimes a song, sometimes an image. For me, it really helps to express a story into some other art form. RLS made some very good points about making a map part of the writing process. In this way, spatial elements are more evident (and this is very helpful for someone as spatially challenged as myself).
Overall, there are some real gems for writers in these essays. If you are a writer, this is a must read. Many things you may already be aware of, but as in any art form, it's great to hear another writer express it in their own way. Always more to learn . . .
For myself, I love hearing about another writer's process, especially one with such a passion for writing as RLS. His ability to balance the soul and technical aspects of writing is truly magnificent. I remember years ago being so intrigued when I learned about his inspiration for the novel THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE. The idea that good and evil reside within every man he explores through Dr. Jekyll trying to quell that dark part of himself resulting in wreaking havoc in the form of Mr. Hyde. Beyond the heartbeat of this novel are all his other inspirations ~ one being where he resided. He could see from his living quarters a prosperous modern neighborhood right next to an old run-down neighborhood ~ side by side, it must have conjured up some interesting imagery that played into his creative process.
All that RLS shares in these essays boils down to what I felt as a child when I read my first work of serious literature (THE GOOD EARTH). I remember my "aha" moment as if it were only yesterday ~ I remember finally understanding what people meant when they referred to "literature." It was the WEIGHT and FLOW of just the right words that I was responding to ~ the story floated on and swam through those words effortlessly. RLS explains that when a work of literature is a pleasure to read, it is because of a myriad of things ~ one being the ever FLUID CHANGING of the STRUCTURE of sentences and paragraphs. A constant changing of the tide in the way words flow depending on what sounds you choose to highlight. It is based on a style built from philosophy and wit. And sounds. Each phrase in literature is built of sounds ~ just as each phrase of music consists of notes. The art of precisely using these phrases or notes is the final art of literature.
I love when RLS speaks of following the ADVENTURE OF A LETTER through any passage that is particularly pleasing. If you break down any passage that is a pleasure to read, it is because the writer has taken great effort to make it thus. The reason, he goes on to explain, is because literature is written by and for two senses: an internal ear that perceives unheard melodies and an eye which directs the pen and deciphers the phrases.
RLS goes onto say that the trick is to keep prose phrases large, rhythmical, and pleasing to the ear without ever allowing them to fall into the strictly metrical. He really brings home what a tremendous task it is take all the elements of language and form them into PHRASES THAT WEAVE THE MAIN ARGUMENT into TEXTURED and COMMITTED PHRASES. This is done by choosing apt, explicit, and communicative words. From his descriptions, anyone can see what an intricate affair it is to write any perfect passage ~ how there is scarcely a skill not exercised in this effort.
Next are MORALITY and the profession of writing. RLS states clearly that the most important tools for any writer are truth and sympathy. All writing should be first honest and second useful. And furthermore, no writer should write solely for profit ~ this only leads to literature that is empty and untrue. It touched me deeply how serious he estimated writing to be. After all, as he says, everything we know of good and evil in the world primarily comes from the handiwork of writers. I'll be musing this one for years to come.
RLS speaks of TRUTH being perverted or suppressed as if he were alive today. He speaks of finding two journals of differing political views openly garbling a piece of news for the benefit of its own party. He declares that the real tragedy is that we smile at the discovery as if it is just a joke or a pardonable strategy. And poignantly he says that lying so open is scarce lying, it is true. We teach our children to be truthful ~ yet how do we reconcile our open approval of public falsehoods.
RLS believed there were two duties incumbent to anyone entering the writing profession: TRUTH TO THE FACT and a GOOD SPIRIT IN TREATMENT. He supposes that to omit anything that you believe to be true may be the very thing someone is needing. And this made me think of how many things I have read over the years that have resonated with me on such a deep level. What if just one of them had not written what they felt to be true? What a loss it would be if they had not dared. And, then I wonder what we'll never hear expressed because someone never dared. What someone now is not daring to say that I need to hear. What someone needs to see. Perhaps, what we all need to understand.
One of my favorite RLS observations is in regard to THE SUBJECT OF ANY WORK being SECONDARY TO HOW THE AUTHOR SEES THE WORLD (and through this lens expresses the subject at hand). This is just as it is in the visual arts ~ the subject matter is secondary to how it is expressed. Literature as in art is about communicating universal truths, not just about this person or that naked tree. This is where masterpieces reside. So much time is spent on trying to find unique ideas to write about when in fact it is always more about expressing how you see the world in whatever medium you choose. One of my favorite quotes on writing is from Virginia Woolf and what she says is that you can't tell the truth about others until you can tell it about yourself. This is the true value of literature and art ~ the expression of how we see this world. As RLS puts it, it is a far more perilous thing to be untrue than immoral. To conceal an opinion, if you are sure you hold it, is to take liberties with the truth. There is probably no point of view expressed truthfully that isn't profitable to someone somewhere.
And on this subject, RLS has a lot to say. But, this was one of my favorite quotes on the matter within his essays: I am not afraid of the TRUTH, if anyone could tell it me, I am afraid of parts of it impertinently uttered.
Here is another RLS quote ~ this one on masterpieces: There is a time to dance and a time to mourn; to be harsh as well as to be sentimental; to be ascetic as well as to glorify the appetites; and if a man were to combine all these extremes into his work, each in its place and proportion, that work would be the world’s MASTERPIECE of morality as well as of art.
I truly loved reading the chapter on BOOKS THAT INFLUENCED RLS. I know for myself that so many books feel like such a part of me and in some way raised me as much as my own parents (maybe even more at times). He talks of Shakespeare and how few living friends had upon him an influence so strong. He speaks of other authors and of books that breathed every beautiful and valuable emotion. He speaks of books where their influence was profound and silent and how he drank them like water and was the better for it, yet he know not how. He suggests reading passages from the Bible freshly as like a book, not droningly and dully like a portion of the Bible. And, he can't help but mention Walt Whitman's LEAVES OF GRASS (also one of my favorites). This book tumbled the world upside down for him and blew into space a thousand cobwebs of genteel and ethical illusion and having thus shaken his tabernacle of lies, set him back again upon a strong foundation of all the original and manly virtues.
Now, after speaking of his reaction to Walt Whitman, he speaks of readers. More specifically, those that have the GIFT OF READING. The gift of reading as RLS saw it was a combination of intellect and an open mind. While passionately holding beliefs or dogmas, a gifted reader is able see the other side of propositions and virtues. If something seems very false or dangerous to a reader and he tries to see what it means or what truth excuses it, he has the gift of reading. If he feels hurt or offended, he will never be a reader. He poignantly points out for writers that when words fall into the hands of a genuine reader, they will be weighed and winnowed, and only that which suits the reader will be assimilated. When they fall into the hands of one who cannot intelligently read, they come silently and inarticulate, falling upon deaf ears, and his secret is kept as if he had never written it at all. This struck me as spot on.
He speaks to writing and reading character by stating that the angry picture of human faults is not great art. We can all be angry with our neighbor; what we want is to be shown his MERITS TO WHICH WE ARE TOO BLIND and not his DEFECTS OF WHICH WE ARE TOO CONSCIOUS. From here he touches on what a writer needs to put in and what he needs to leave out ~ what is necessary and what is purely ornamental. He also speaks to the difference between realism and idealism.
He then dives into his inspiration and experience writing TREASURE ISLAND. He speaks of making a map of an island one day and naming it "Treasure Island." Upon this map characters started to appear. He then started writing out chapters. He had an idea for a character named John Silver ~ he took an admired friend and deprived him of his finer qualities and higher graces and left him with nothing but his strength, courage, quickness, and magnificent geniality. He expounded that this psychical surgery is very common when creating characters, indeed it is the only way. We must take people we know and or have met and graft secondary or imaginary qualities as well as cutting away the needless limbs of his nature.
RLS touches on different aspects of his book belonging to different books like the parrot belonging to ROBINSON CRUSOE, the skeleton from POE, the stockade from MASTERMAN READY, Billy Bones and his chest as well as the company in the parlor were all the property of WASHINGTON IRVING. The lesson being that none of us live in a vacuum and we are all influenced not only by our direct experiences but also by the things we read. All writers and artists borrow. Not intentionally, it's just that some things resonate with us and stay with us and then these things surface when creating new works. Often times, with some effort, we know of whence they come, but other times we may be completely unaware. Again, the subject matter is secondary, how the author expresses it is key. You can ask 100 writers to write about a yellow parrot living on a purple moon that plays the violin while he's waiting for a ride home. And no two writers will write the same story in exactly the same way about this violin playing parrot on the moon. The value is in the expression and not in the parrot.
It's amazing that TREASURE ISLAND just flowed from RLS at first ~ 15 chapters in 15 days. And then on the 16th chapter, he got stuck. So he thought of other things and buried himself in the work of others. And then when he sat down one morning, it just flowed and he finished the novel. I've never been one to have writer's block, I am more someone that has too many ideas and the challenge for me is to let go of most of them. To remedy this, I do something very similar and that is to imagine putting what I need to figure out into a certain part of my head and then just forget about it. Let my subconscious do its thing and it always comes up with what to do. An important lesson in letting go I think.
RLS concludes this section with speaking of the MAP that was the inspiration for the novel. He sent it in to his publisher with the manuscript pages but it was lost in transit. This was a very hard pill to swallow for RLS. He stated that it was a far different thing to create a map and then write a book inspired by that map then to create a map based on all the pieces of a novel. Oh, what a headache ~ I know this was more than a hundred years ago, but I can feel his pain this many years later. For myself, I've always liked creating something else when working on a story ~ sometimes it's a map, sometimes a song, sometimes an image. For me, it really helps to express a story into some other art form. RLS made some very good points about making a map part of the writing process. In this way, spatial elements are more evident (and this is very helpful for someone as spatially challenged as myself).
Overall, there are some real gems for writers in these essays. If you are a writer, this is a must read. Many things you may already be aware of, but as in any art form, it's great to hear another writer express it in their own way. Always more to learn . . .
March 22, 2025
Essays in the Art of Writing by Robert Louis Stevenson was an interesting but challenging read. While the book had valuable insights on writing, its language and structure made it difficult to absorb at times.
The first chapter discusses the technical elements of style and literature, particularly the contrast between poetry and prose. I appreciated how Stevenson emphasized that writing should be “good to the ear”—not just in terms of how it sounds when spoken but in its overall rhythm and flow. This insight stuck with me, especially as a content creator. Good writing should not just look good on paper; it should feel natural when heard.
The second chapter, which focused on the morality of writing, felt repetitive. Stevenson strongly emphasized the importance of truth in writing, which is valid, but the same point was restated in different ways without adding much depth.
A more engaging section was when he reflected on books that influenced him. His perspective on novels was particularly striking—he argued that fiction removes the ego from the reading experience. Unlike self-help books, which constantly make us think about ourselves, novels immerse us in the characters’ worlds. I had never thought about fiction this way before, and it made me want to explore novels more.
There were also chapters discussing realism vs. idealism and his creative process, particularly in writing Treasure Island. I found it fascinating how the novel stemmed from a simple act of drawing a map. It reinforced the idea that creativity often happens organically—you can’t force it, but you can create the right conditions for it to emerge.
However, the biggest drawback of this book was its dense and archaic language. Despite being fluent in English and having studied in the UK, I found this book difficult to grasp without external help. I frequently had to use AI to understand certain sections, something I haven’t needed with other books. The title suggests a more accessible guide to writing, but in reality, the book requires patience and effort to decipher.
In the end, I did gain valuable insights, but the difficulty of the language and the mismatch between expectations and content led me to rate it three stars. If you’re interested in classic literary theory and don’t mind a challenging read, you might find this book worthwhile. But if you’re looking for a modern, practical guide to creative writing, this may not be the best choice.
The first chapter discusses the technical elements of style and literature, particularly the contrast between poetry and prose. I appreciated how Stevenson emphasized that writing should be “good to the ear”—not just in terms of how it sounds when spoken but in its overall rhythm and flow. This insight stuck with me, especially as a content creator. Good writing should not just look good on paper; it should feel natural when heard.
The second chapter, which focused on the morality of writing, felt repetitive. Stevenson strongly emphasized the importance of truth in writing, which is valid, but the same point was restated in different ways without adding much depth.
A more engaging section was when he reflected on books that influenced him. His perspective on novels was particularly striking—he argued that fiction removes the ego from the reading experience. Unlike self-help books, which constantly make us think about ourselves, novels immerse us in the characters’ worlds. I had never thought about fiction this way before, and it made me want to explore novels more.
There were also chapters discussing realism vs. idealism and his creative process, particularly in writing Treasure Island. I found it fascinating how the novel stemmed from a simple act of drawing a map. It reinforced the idea that creativity often happens organically—you can’t force it, but you can create the right conditions for it to emerge.
However, the biggest drawback of this book was its dense and archaic language. Despite being fluent in English and having studied in the UK, I found this book difficult to grasp without external help. I frequently had to use AI to understand certain sections, something I haven’t needed with other books. The title suggests a more accessible guide to writing, but in reality, the book requires patience and effort to decipher.
In the end, I did gain valuable insights, but the difficulty of the language and the mismatch between expectations and content led me to rate it three stars. If you’re interested in classic literary theory and don’t mind a challenging read, you might find this book worthwhile. But if you’re looking for a modern, practical guide to creative writing, this may not be the best choice.
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January 14, 2022Stevenson käsittelee kirjansa ensimmäisessä esseessä proosan ja runouden esteettisiä periaatteita (Tyylin teknisistä puolista kirjallisuudessa) ja toisessa kirjallisuuden hyötyarvoa lukijan luonteen koulijana (Kirjallisen ammatin moraalisista puolista). Kahdessa keskimmäisessä esseessä puhe kääntyy teoksiin, jotka ovat vaikuttaneet häneen ja kirjallisuushistoriallisesti mielenkiintoiseen debattiin realismin ja idealismin suhteesta. Kaksi viimeistä esseetä toimivat sangen innostavina kuvauksina Stevensonin kaunokirjallisten teosten seikkaperäisestä syntyhistoriasta. Suosikkiesseeni oli ehdottomasti mukaansatempaava "Ensimmäinen kirjani: Aarresaari". Eniten pureksittavaa jätti "Tyylin teknisistä puolista kirjallisuudessa". Erityisesti ajatus solmusta ja rinnakkaisten näkökulmien yhdistämisestä kiehtoivat mieltäni:
"... jokainen lause jatkumossa päättyy ensin eräänlaiseen solmuun ja merkityksen viivyttämisen jälkeen avautuu ja välittää tarkoittamansa asian. Jokaisessa kunnolla rakennetussa lauseessa pitäisi näkyä tällainen solmu tai koukero niin, että (tapahtuipa se kuinka hienovireisesti tahansa), lukijoita johdetaan enteilemään, odottamaan ja lopulta toivottamaan tervetulleiksi tulevat lauseet. Yllätys voi korostaa lauseesta saatavaa mielihyvää, kuten karkealla tavalla tapahtuu vaikkapa yleisten vastakohtien hyödyntämisen avulla tai selvästi syvällisemmin silloin, kun vastakohtaisuuden odotus luodaan ensin mutta sitten sitä väistetäänkin ovelasti."
"... jokainen lause jatkumossa päättyy ensin eräänlaiseen solmuun ja merkityksen viivyttämisen jälkeen avautuu ja välittää tarkoittamansa asian. Jokaisessa kunnolla rakennetussa lauseessa pitäisi näkyä tällainen solmu tai koukero niin, että (tapahtuipa se kuinka hienovireisesti tahansa), lukijoita johdetaan enteilemään, odottamaan ja lopulta toivottamaan tervetulleiksi tulevat lauseet. Yllätys voi korostaa lauseesta saatavaa mielihyvää, kuten karkealla tavalla tapahtuu vaikkapa yleisten vastakohtien hyödyntämisen avulla tai selvästi syvällisemmin silloin, kun vastakohtaisuuden odotus luodaan ensin mutta sitten sitä väistetäänkin ovelasti."
February 11, 2023
El título de este libro podría calificarse como “spam”. De las 89 páginas tan sólo unas pocas frases me resultan realmente útiles para sacar enseñanza acerca del arte de escribir. Como biografía escueta del famoso escritor, es interesante.
Escrito de manera rimbombante y sin ir al grano, y pienso que es difícil no ir al grano en tan pocas páginas.
Acabas mareado y sin saber dónde estás conforme vas pasando páginas, en muchas ocasiones teniendo que releer varias veces la misma frase para entenderla.
Siendo justo, debo decir que el capítulo “Mi primer libro: La isla del tesoro” me ha resultado muy agradable de leer.
Escrito de manera rimbombante y sin ir al grano, y pienso que es difícil no ir al grano en tan pocas páginas.
Acabas mareado y sin saber dónde estás conforme vas pasando páginas, en muchas ocasiones teniendo que releer varias veces la misma frase para entenderla.
Siendo justo, debo decir que el capítulo “Mi primer libro: La isla del tesoro” me ha resultado muy agradable de leer.
December 31, 2021
Ruminations On His Craft
Stevenson reviews the elements of poetry and prose, and what distinguishes the two.
He also takes the reader inside his creative process, and he tells the reader what it takes to be a consummate storyteller.
He also criticizes some hallowed authors and some of his contemporaries -- and he names names.
Highly recommended for Stevenson fans and anyone else interested in how a great author analyzes the world and literature, and puts the pieces back together to create great art.
Stevenson reviews the elements of poetry and prose, and what distinguishes the two.
He also takes the reader inside his creative process, and he tells the reader what it takes to be a consummate storyteller.
He also criticizes some hallowed authors and some of his contemporaries -- and he names names.
Highly recommended for Stevenson fans and anyone else interested in how a great author analyzes the world and literature, and puts the pieces back together to create great art.
December 20, 2017
Kirjan nimi hämää kirjoitusopasta etsivää. Stevensonin esseet ovat mielenkiintoisia katsauksia aikakauden kirjallisuuteen ja tyyliin, mutta muille kuin kirjallisuuden tutkijoille ja Stevenson-faneille kirjassa on vain vähän antia.
October 29, 2021
Some excellence here
The first essay is a classic, and one of the very first attempts to elucidate literary style. It is a worthy predecessor to modern texts on the art of writing. The other essays are worthy of a read, the one about Treasure Island in particular.
The first essay is a classic, and one of the very first attempts to elucidate literary style. It is a worthy predecessor to modern texts on the art of writing. The other essays are worthy of a read, the one about Treasure Island in particular.
December 24, 2017
Can’t believe I never read this book before. I definitely will read this book again for inspiration when I work on my novel.
August 7, 2020
Quizás no era el momento indicado para leer este libro... Reconozco el valor de sus aportes, en especial por el prestigio y la obra de Stevenson, sin embargo, me costó conectarme con sus ensayos.
February 20, 2023
Again an interesting snapshot into the past. Didn't glean much from it. But content I read it.
January 31, 2017
Well, now I know what makes a good reader!
March 22, 2025
كتاب "فن الكتابة" (The Art of Writing) للكاتب روبرت لويس ستيفنسون هو مجموعة من المقالات التي تناقش أساليب الكتابة وأسرارها من وجهة نظر أدبية وفنية. يركز ستيفنسون، وهو أحد أبرز الكتّاب في الأدب الإنجليزي، على كيفية تطوير الأسلوب الأدبي، وتحقيق الوضوح، والإبداع في الكتابة.
أهم أفكار الكتاب:
1. القراءة كأساس للكتابة
يرى ستيفنسون أن الكاتب الجيد يجب أن يكون قارئًا نهمًا، وأن تقليد الأساليب الأدبية العظيمة يمكن أن يكون خطوة أساسية لتطوير صوت الكاتب الخاص.
2. الأسلوب والوضوح
يركز على أهمية الأسلوب في الكتابة، مشددًا على أن اللغة يجب أن تكون واضحة، وقوية، ومؤثرة، وأن الكاتب يجب أن يختار كلماته بعناية.
3. الإبداع الأدبي
يؤكد ستيفنسون على أن الكتابة ليست مجرد نقل للأفكار، بل هي فن يتطلب الإبداع، والتجريب، والبحث عن الأصالة في التعبير.
4. إعادة الكتابة والتحرير
يوصي بأهمية مراجعة النصوص وإعادة صياغتها، حيث أن الصياغة الأولى نادرًا ما تكون مثالية.
5. التأثير العاطفي في الكتابة
يشير إلى أن الكتابة الجيدة يجب أن تثير مشاعر القارئ، وأن يكون للكاتب صوت مميز يجذب الانتباه.
أسلوب الكتاب:
يتميز أسلوب ستيفنسون بالتحليل العميق والنظرة الأدبية الراقية.
يقدم الكتاب نصائح عملية مدعومة بأمثلة أدبية.
مقالاته تعكس فهمًا عميقًا لتطور الأدب والأساليب الكتابية.
لمن يناسب هذا الكتاب؟
الكتاب مناسب لكل من يهتم بتحسين أسلوبه الكتابي، سواء كان كاتبًا مبتدئًا أو محترفًا.
يُعد مفيدًا لعشاق الأدب الذين يرغبون في فهم تقنيات الكتابة من منظور أحد أعظم الروائيين في العصر الفيكتوري.
الخلاصة:
"فن الكتابة" هو كتاب مليء بالحكمة الأدبية، ويمنح القارئ نظرة فريدة إلى عملية الكتابة من خلال عيون روبرت لويس ستيفنسون. إنه دليل ثمين لمن يسعى إلى تطوير مهاراته في الكتابة بطريقة واضحة، جذابة، وإبداعية.
أهم أفكار الكتاب:
1. القراءة كأساس للكتابة
يرى ستيفنسون أن الكاتب الجيد يجب أن يكون قارئًا نهمًا، وأن تقليد الأساليب الأدبية العظيمة يمكن أن يكون خطوة أساسية لتطوير صوت الكاتب الخاص.
2. الأسلوب والوضوح
يركز على أهمية الأسلوب في الكتابة، مشددًا على أن اللغة يجب أن تكون واضحة، وقوية، ومؤثرة، وأن الكاتب يجب أن يختار كلماته بعناية.
3. الإبداع الأدبي
يؤكد ستيفنسون على أن الكتابة ليست مجرد نقل للأفكار، بل هي فن يتطلب الإبداع، والتجريب، والبحث عن الأصالة في التعبير.
4. إعادة الكتابة والتحرير
يوصي بأهمية مراجعة النصوص وإعادة صياغتها، حيث أن الصياغة الأولى نادرًا ما تكون مثالية.
5. التأثير العاطفي في الكتابة
يشير إلى أن الكتابة الجيدة يجب أن تثير مشاعر القارئ، وأن يكون للكاتب صوت مميز يجذب الانتباه.
أسلوب الكتاب:
يتميز أسلوب ستيفنسون بالتحليل العميق والنظرة الأدبية الراقية.
يقدم الكتاب نصائح عملية مدعومة بأمثلة أدبية.
مقالاته تعكس فهمًا عميقًا لتطور الأدب والأساليب الكتابية.
لمن يناسب هذا الكتاب؟
الكتاب مناسب لكل من يهتم بتحسين أسلوبه الكتابي، سواء كان كاتبًا مبتدئًا أو محترفًا.
يُعد مفيدًا لعشاق الأدب الذين يرغبون في فهم تقنيات الكتابة من منظور أحد أعظم الروائيين في العصر الفيكتوري.
الخلاصة:
"فن الكتابة" هو كتاب مليء بالحكمة الأدبية، ويمنح القارئ نظرة فريدة إلى عملية الكتابة من خلال عيون روبرت لويس ستيفنسون. إنه دليل ثمين لمن يسعى إلى تطوير مهاراته في الكتابة بطريقة واضحة، جذابة، وإبداعية.
December 31, 2014
Robert Louis Stevensonin Kirjoittamisen taito ei ole opas kirjoittajalle, vaan ennemminkin kokoelma esseitä, joissa käydään läpi kirjailijan näkemyksiä kirjallisuuden estetiikasta sekä moraalista. Lisäksi Stevenson kertoo kirjoista jotka ovat vaikuttaneet häneen, ja käy myös läpi Aarresaaren syntyä. Tyyliä käsittelevä essee äityy lopussa hieman kuivakaksi englanninkielisine esimerkkeineen, mutta erityisesti Aarresaaresta, moraalista ja realismista kertovia esseitä luki oikein mielellään. Stevensonin kertojanääni on sympaattinen, ja moraaliesseessä hän korostaakin lempeyden ja oikeamielisyyden olevan kirjailijan uralle aikovien tärkeimpiä ominaisuuksia.
"Olen kuullut, että jotkut eivät välitä kartoista, mutta minun on vaikea uskoa sitä. Kaikki ne nimet, metsien muodot, teiden ja jokien kulku, esihistoriallisten ihmisten jalanjäljet, jotka edelleen erottuvat laakson rinteillä, myllyt ja rauniot, lammet ja lautat sekä kenties jokin suuri kivi tai druidien kehä nummilla - ne ovat varmasti läkähdyttävän kiinnostavia kaikille, jos heillä vaan on kaksi silmää, joilla voi karttaa katsoa, ja edes kahden pennyn edestä mielikuvitusta, joka auttaa ymmärtämään sen! Kaikkien lasten pitäisi muistaa laskea päänsä ruoholle, tuijottaa ääretöntä metsää ja katsella sen täyttyvän keijukaisten armeijoista."
"Olen kuullut, että jotkut eivät välitä kartoista, mutta minun on vaikea uskoa sitä. Kaikki ne nimet, metsien muodot, teiden ja jokien kulku, esihistoriallisten ihmisten jalanjäljet, jotka edelleen erottuvat laakson rinteillä, myllyt ja rauniot, lammet ja lautat sekä kenties jokin suuri kivi tai druidien kehä nummilla - ne ovat varmasti läkähdyttävän kiinnostavia kaikille, jos heillä vaan on kaksi silmää, joilla voi karttaa katsoa, ja edes kahden pennyn edestä mielikuvitusta, joka auttaa ymmärtämään sen! Kaikkien lasten pitäisi muistaa laskea päänsä ruoholle, tuijottaa ääretöntä metsää ja katsella sen täyttyvän keijukaisten armeijoista."
November 25, 2012
Glavna mana knjige je upravo iluzoran naslov koji navodi na pogrešno, prvenstveno jer je broj eseja o umetnosti pisanja veoma mali, tri otprilike(as i recall). Pored toga tu je gomila putopisa, onaj ko poznaje Stivensonov život zna da je imao ozbiljne zdravstene probleme, pa samim tim tražio odgovarajuće klimatske uslove za njegov život.
Upravo ta putešestvija su rezultovala u pisanju gomile putopisa, impresija i sitnih priča udaljenih mesta širom sveta ali koliko god ona bila slikovita, realna pa ponekad i očaravajuća, fali joj nešto... nešto što je Stivenson uveo u svoje velike romane, a to je upravo poseban ambijent, emocija. Zato je meni bilo naročito mučno za vreme čitanja ove knjige pogotovo jer sam upravo očekivao većinu eseja o umetnosti pisanja.
Pored tih uvodnih eseja,(kao i onaj o Ostrvu s Blagom) poslednji ostavlja priličan utisak, tako da oni koji bi želeli da osete Stivensona at his best, preporučujem upravo tu nekolicinu... vidim da se srpsko izdanje razlikuje od engleskog s tim što su upravo u naše ubacili te putopise(misleading sons of bitches) ali nebitno.
Fanovi će prepoznati
Upravo ta putešestvija su rezultovala u pisanju gomile putopisa, impresija i sitnih priča udaljenih mesta širom sveta ali koliko god ona bila slikovita, realna pa ponekad i očaravajuća, fali joj nešto... nešto što je Stivenson uveo u svoje velike romane, a to je upravo poseban ambijent, emocija. Zato je meni bilo naročito mučno za vreme čitanja ove knjige pogotovo jer sam upravo očekivao većinu eseja o umetnosti pisanja.
Pored tih uvodnih eseja,(kao i onaj o Ostrvu s Blagom) poslednji ostavlja priličan utisak, tako da oni koji bi želeli da osete Stivensona at his best, preporučujem upravo tu nekolicinu... vidim da se srpsko izdanje razlikuje od engleskog s tim što su upravo u naše ubacili te putopise(misleading sons of bitches) ali nebitno.
Fanovi će prepoznati
October 2, 2013
A writer learns this early, and it is his chief support; he goes on unafraid, laying down the law; and he is sure at heart that most of what he says is demonstrably false, and much of a mingled strain, and some hurtful, and very little good for service; but he is sure besides that when his words fall into the hands of any genuine reader, they will be weighed and winnowed, and only that which suits will be assimilated; and when they fall into the hands of one who cannot intelligently read, they come there quite silent and inarticulate, falling upon deaf ears, and his secret is kept as if he had not written.
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