Review Wednesday: Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

Title: Zen in the Art of Writing

Author: Ray Bradbury
1st Date of Publication: January 1, 1987

ISBN: 9780884961024
# of Pages: 176

Genre: Memoir/How-to

Age Rating: 13

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Book Description:
Zest. Gusto. Curiosity. These are the qualities every writer must have, as well as a spirit of adventure. In this exuberant book, the incomparable Ray Bradbury shares the wisdom, experience, and excitement of a lifetime of writing. Here are practical tips on the art of writing from a master of the craft—everything from finding original ideas to developing your own voice and style—as well as the inside story of Bradbury's own remarkable career as a prolific author of novels, stories, poems, films, and plays.

Zen in the Art of Writing is more than just a how-to manual for the would-be writer: it is a celebration of the act of writing itself that will delight, impassion, and inspire the writer in you. Bradbury encourages us to follow the unique path of our instincts and enthusiasms to the place where our inner genius dwells, and he shows that success as a writer depends on how well you know one subject: your own life.




Setting: Venice, CA in the 20th century
Point of View: 1st person- Ray Bradbury

Goodreads Rating: 4.11

My Rating: 4.25

 

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: I think the pencil is very interesting. Every grain is distinct as if it is important to represent writing to be clear but beautiful.
View on Title: Writing can seem very stressful so getting relaxed and "in the zone" probably really helps the flow of writing.

Pros:

• This book is more of a memoir than a how-to novel. At the beginning of a few sections, there is advice about having passion in your writing and letting yourself have an easier time writing a novel.
• It's really interesting how times have changed because the rent was only $30/month when Ray Bradbury was writing. He earned enough money through his writing to pay rent for a year and prepare for the new baby. It shows inflation at its finest.
• It shows the struggles of being a writer while providing for his family, which puts life as a writer into perspective. How many people have tried to do the same thing, but fail? We only really hear about those who have succeeded, not those who have not.
• This novel has humor in it similarly to On Writing by Stephen King.

Cons:

• I wish this book had more advice in it for writing. It was misleading when it was recommended as a writing how-to/memoir.

Ray Bradbury's Website:
http://www.raybradbury.com/

Other Recommendations:

On Writing: A Memoir of Craft by Stephen King
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Review Wednesday: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

Title: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Author: Stephen King
1st Date of Publication: October 3, 1999

ISBN: 9781439156810
# of Pages: 291

Genre: Memoir/How-to

Age Rating: 13

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Book Description:
"Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer's craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King's advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999--and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it--fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.



Setting: Numerous locations in the United States
Point of View: 1st person- Stephen King

Goodreads Rating: 4.31

My Rating: 4.75

 

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: Stephen King seems pretty relaxed writing in his room with a little corgi.
View on Title: I wonder what Stephen King has to say about writing and how he came to become the writer he is.

Pros:

• For the story portion of the book, Stephen King is one of the greats in my book. His story is astounding with how he came from nothing to having a huge name. It is really inspiring to a struggling writer, like myself.
• For the craft portion of the book, King does an excellent way to paint a picture with words and humor that makes you want to continue reading. It makes you want to be under his wing as an intern
• For the advice portion of the book, he makes the art of writing seem so easy when it is hard to even start. I felt like I was able to make some progress to writing my own book. I used this book as the pioneer book of many that will lead to my book writing journey.

Cons:

• It was overall a great book. I just wish there was more about Stephen King's life between his publication of Carrie and his accident in 1999.

Critics' Reviews:
" Loving it is essential, though, and having a good "toolbox," full of vocabulary, grammar, and the usage and mechanics prescribed by Strunk and White's perdurable Elements of Style, is next most important. It is invaluable to read a lot, and the key to novel writing is following the story--not a plot that can be charted or outlined, but the developments natural for the characters, given the situation they are in. For himself, King says, good health and a good marriage have been crucial, never more so than during his recovery from the accident. Good advice and a good, ordinary life, relayed in spunky, vivid prose, are the prime ingredients of what must be considered not at all the usual writer's guide." --Booklist
"King stresses character and situation over plotting, and insists on basics-like Strunk and White and, above all, endless reading and writing. While his proposed output might intimidate some, his enthusiasm wins out. A useful book for any young writer, and a must for fans, this is unmistakably King: friendly, sharply perceptive, cheerfully vulgar, sometimes adolescent in his humor, sometimes impatient with fools, but always sincere in his love of language and writing." --Kirkus Reviews

" Along the way, King touts the writing philosophies of William Strunk and Ernest Hemingway, advocates a healthy appetite for reading, expounds upon the subject of grammar, critiques a number of popular writers, and offers the reader a chance to try out his theories. But most important, we who climb aboard for this ride with the master spend a few pleasant hours under the impression that we know what it's like to think like Stephen King. Recommended for anyone who wants to write and everyone who loves to read." --Library Journal

"While some of his guidance is not exactly revolutionary (he recommends The Elements of Style as a must-have reference), other revelations that vindicate authors of popular fiction, like himself, as writers, such as his preference for stressing character and situation over plot, are engrossing. He also offers plenty of commonsense advice on how to organize a workspace and structure one's day. While King's comical childhood anecdotes and sober reflections on his accident may be appreciated while driving to work or burning calories on a treadmill, the book's main exercise does not work as well in the audio format. King's strongest recommendation, after all, is that writers must be readers, and despite his adept performance, aspiring authors might find that they would absorb more by picking up the book." --Publishers Weekly

Stephen King's Website:
http://www.stephenking.com/

Other Recommendations:

Carrie by Stephen King
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

New Release Review: Where the Past Begins: A Writer's Memoir by Amy Tan

Title: Where the Past Begins: A Writer's Memoir

Author: Amy Tan
1st Date of Publication: October 17, 2017

ISBN: 9780062319296
# of Pages: 368

Genre: Memoir

Age Rating: 13

 

Book Description:
In Where the Past Begins, bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club and The Valley of Amazement Amy Tan is at her most intimate in revealing the truths and inspirations that underlie her extraordinary fiction. By delving into vivid memories of her traumatic childhood, confessions of self-doubt in her journals, and heartbreaking letters to and from her mother, she gives evidence to all that made it both unlikely and inevitable that she would become a writer. Through spontaneous storytelling, she shows how a fluid fictional state of mind unleashed near-forgotten memories that became the emotional nucleus of her novels.

Tan explores shocking truths uncovered by family memorabilia—the real reason behind an IQ test she took at age six, why her parents lied about their education, mysteries surrounding her maternal grandmother—and, for the first time publicly, writes about her complex relationship with her father, who died when she was fifteen. Supplied with candor and characteristic humor, Where the Past Begins takes readers into the idiosyncratic workings of her writer’s mind, a journey that explores memory, imagination, and truth, with fiction serving as both her divining rod and link to meaning.




Setting: Primarily California
Point of View: 1st person- Amy Tan

Goodreads Rating: 3.55

My Rating: 4.50

 

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: It's pretty clear that this book is about Amy Tan because her name consumes most of the cover.
View on Title: It seems kind of interesting. Where does one's past begin? Ourselves? Our parents? Grandparents? It's hard to define the line.

Pros:

• This novel is very different from her other books (because it is a memoir rather than fiction), but this novel has similar writing aspects to her fictional pieces.
• The book has a structure but a different kind of structure than all her other books. This novel is more fluid in the way that it goes from one idea to the next. Amy Tan makes reading this novel feel like it is like you're in a really nice dream and you're going for the ride.
• The writing reminds me of concocting a chemistry experiment because this book is part journal, part diary, and part genealogy. The reader gets to be in the mind of Amy Tan as she writes with less restraint as she discovers more of her past and better understands both her life and family.
• The way the parts are organized are creative and unexpected. Instead of titling for family or herself, she titles them with what people encourage others to do.
• It's really interesting because you get a glimpse of how her characters in her books relate to people in her life, such as Amy Tan's mother as June's mother in The Joy Luck Club.
• This memoir gives the reader an idea of what  Asian American culture is like in some aspects because not every Asian American family is the same, especially in different generations. Academics and music become emphasized on perfection and nothing short of it because Asian parents want only the best for their children through achievement.

Cons:

• There is very little that I disliked about this book. The only thing I wish Amy Tan explored more is her relationships with her brothers, particularly her younger one. Her older brother is written a little more than her younger brother.

Critics' Reviews:
“Any book by best-selling Tan is cause for excitement, and this surprising and gripping memoir will be zealously promoted and discussed.” -Booklist

Amy Tan's Website:
http://www.amytan.net/

Other Recommendations:

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
On Writing: Memoir of Craft by Stephen King
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

Anticipation Friday: Where the Past Begins by Amy Tan

Goodreads Description
In Where the Past Begins, bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club and The Valley of Amazement Amy Tan is at her most intimate in revealing the truths and inspirations that underlie her extraordinary fiction. By delving into vivid memories of her traumatic childhood, confessions of self-doubt in her journals, and heartbreaking letters to and from her mother, she gives evidence to all that made it both unlikely and inevitable that she would become a writer. Through spontaneous storytelling, she shows how a fluid fictional state of mind unleashed near-forgotten memories that became the emotional nucleus of her novels.

Tan explores shocking truths uncovered by family memorabilia—the real reason behind an IQ test she took at age six, why her parents lied about their education, mysteries surrounding her maternal grandmother—and, for the first time publicly, writes about her complex relationship with her father, who died when she was fifteen. Supplied with candor and characteristic humor, Where the Past Begins takes readers into the idiosyncratic workings of her writer’s mind, a journey that explores memory, imagination, and truth, with fiction serving as both her divining rod and link to meaning.

Preorder on Amazon

Other info
Expected Date of Publication: October 17, 2017
Stand-Alone or Series/Companion: Stand-Alone
Genre: Memoir

Why Am I Anticipating This Book?

• I have read one of Amy Tan's other books, Joy Luck Club, for school twice and I really liked it. All of her books are full of symbolism and themes, which makes it fun to read and find them all.
• She writes a lot of historical fiction pieces about Chinese immigration to the United States. Her books have a lot of Chinese-American culture in them, which I find interesting. There's often flashbacks of what it was like in China and how different life is as Chinese in the United States.
• I am actually going to meet her at the library in a week and a half where she will be discussing her newest book, Where the Past Begins.