Keynote
Finally, an Art of series volume on every fiction writer’s most urgent issue: point of view
Book Title
The Art of Perspective
Subtitle
Who Tells the Story
Cover Image
- “[The Art of Perspective] offers a master class. . . . Castellani knows how to hook a reader.”—The Boston Globe
Body
A writer may have a story to tell, a sense of plot, and strong characters, but for all of these to come together some key questions must be answered. What form should the narrator take? An omniscient, invisible force, or one—or more—of the characters? But in what voice, and from what vantage point? How to decide? Avoiding prescriptive instructions or arbitrary rules, Christopher Castellani brilliantly examines the various ways writers have solved the crucial point-of-view problem. By unpacking the narrative strategies at play in the work of writers as different as E. M. Forster, Grace Paley, and Tayeb Salih, among many others, he illustrates how the author’s careful manipulation of distance between narrator and character drives the story. An insightful work by an award-winning novelist and the artistic director of GrubStreet, The Art of Perspective is a fascinating discussion on a subject of perpetual interest to any writer.
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About the Author
Credit: Michael Joseph
Praise
- “The Art of Perspective is a wonderful book, full of good advice and smart close reading.”—Peter Turchi
- “Remarkably perceptive and gracefully written. . . . Anyone with an interest in how good stories are constructed will find this book both enjoyable and useful.”—Shelf Awareness, starred review
- “Great for diving deeply into a single aspect of writing that can be applied to any number of goals, including fiction and non-fiction writing. . . . A handy reference guide.”—Brooklyn Rail
- “Castellani explains and provides examples of many narrative strategies. . . . A modest, gracefully written meditation on creativity and craft.”—Kirkus Reviews
