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On the Art of Writing
Hardcover
Literary CriticismWriting Instruction
ISBN13: 9781025364469
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 232
Weight: 1.11
Height: 0.56 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
On the Art of Writing is a celebrated collection of lectures delivered by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch at the University of Cambridge. This influential work serves as both a practical guide and a philosophical exploration of the craft of literature, focusing on the mastery of English prose. Quiller-Couch, a distinguished scholar and novelist, approaches writing not as a rigid set of rules, but as a living art form that requires discipline, clarity, and a deep appreciation for the language's heritage.
The text covers a wide range of topics essential to any writer or student of literature, including the differences between verse and prose, the practice of writing, and the importance of choosing the right word. Perhaps most famous for the exhortation to murder your darlings, the author encourages writers to prioritize clarity and precision over self-indulgent ornamentation. Through engaging and erudite prose, Quiller-Couch examines the value of the English language and the moral responsibility of the writer to communicate effectively.
Spanning themes of style, composition, and literary criticism, On the Art of Writing remains a cornerstone for those seeking to refine their literary voice. Its timeless advice continues to inspire authors, editors, and lovers of the written word with its passionate defense of excellence in communication.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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