Project Gutenberg
1996-04-01
Public domain in the USA.
259
Stevenson, Robert Louis
1850
1894
Stevenson, R. L. (Robert Louis)
Essays in the Art of Writing
On some technical elements of style in literature -- The morality of the profession of letters -- Books which have influenced me -- A note on realism -- My first book: "Treasure Island" -- The genesis of "The master of Ballantrae" -- Preface to "The master of Ballantrae".
Transcribed from the 1905 Chatto & Windus edition by David Price
"Essays in the Art of Writing" by Robert Louis Stevenson is a collection of essays written in the late 19th century. This work explores various facets of the writing process and the nature of literature, emphasizing the significance of style, the moral responsibilities of authors, and personal reflections on influential works. Each essay examines different elements that contribute to effective writing, with Stevenson drawing from his own experiences and the broader context of literary tradition. The opening portion of the text begins with Stevenson's deliberation on the technical elements of literary style. He suggests that exploring the mechanics of art can sometimes spoil its magic, yet he endeavours to dissect the craft of writing systematically. He underscores the importance of word choice and the structure of sentences, likening literature to an architectural endeavor where the writer must create with fixed linguistic blocks. Furthermore, Stevenson shares his perspective on the dual nature of art as both representative and autonomous, emphasising that true literary elegance involves a thoughtful blend of rhythm, style, and substantive meaning. This initial exploration showcases Stevenson's authority on the subject while inviting readers into a thoughtful examination of the art of writing. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
en
Literature -- History and criticism
Authorship
Stevenson, Robert Louis, 1850-1894 -- Authorship
PR
Text
Browsing: Journalism/Media/Writing
Browsing: Literature
158888
158794
2024-09-01T05:42:01.977181
2023-10-01T05:26:00.955645
text/html
text/html
155601
2012-10-16T17:41:00
text/html
131692
2012-10-16T17:45:39
text/html
application/zip
194026
2024-09-01T05:42:06.432154
application/epub+zip
194841
2024-09-01T05:42:03.513140
application/epub+zip
121793
2024-09-01T05:42:02.580160
application/epub+zip
321873
2024-09-01T05:42:08.839144
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
305771
2024-09-01T05:42:05.800135
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
234077
2022-09-01T06:05:34.317917
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
144968
144921
2024-09-01T05:42:01.640180
2023-10-01T05:26:00.671654
text/plain; charset=us-ascii
text/plain
144682
2012-10-16T17:40:40
text/plain; charset=utf-8
57390
2012-10-16T17:45:39
text/plain; charset=utf-8
application/zip
18785
2024-09-01T05:42:09.004274
application/rdf+xml
15232
2024-09-01T05:42:02.939148
image/jpeg
3604
2024-09-01T05:42:02.760164
image/jpeg
193221
2024-09-01T05:42:01.999170
application/octet-stream
application/zip
Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at
https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog
en.wikipedia