{"product_id":"what-to-read-and-why-9780062397874","title":"What to Read and Why","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn this brilliant collection, the follow-up to her \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestseller \u003cem\u003eReading Like a Writer\u003c\/em\u003e, the distinguished novelist, literary critic, and essayist celebrates the pleasures of reading and pays homage to the works and writers she admires above all others, from Jane Austen and Charles Dickens to Jennifer Egan and Roberto Bola?o.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn an age defined by hyper-connectivity and constant stimulation, Francine Prose makes a compelling case for the solitary act of reading and the great enjoyment it brings. Inspiring and illuminating, \u003cem\u003eWhat to Read and Why\u003c\/em\u003e includes selections culled from Prose's previous essays, reviews, and introductions, combined with new, never-before-published pieces that focus on her favorite works of fiction and nonfiction, on works by masters of the short story, and even on books by photographers like Diane Arbus.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProse considers why the works of literary masters such as Mary Shelley, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, and Jane Austen have endured, and shares intriguing insights about modern authors whose words stimulate our minds and enlarge our lives, including Roberto Bola?o, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Jennifer Egan, and Mohsin Hamid. Prose implores us to read Mavis Gallant for her marvelously rich and compact sentences, and her meticulously rendered characters who reveal our flawed and complex human nature; Edward St. Aubyn for his elegance and sophisticated humor; and Mark Strand for his gift for depicting unlikely transformations. Here, too, are original pieces in which Prose explores the craft of writing: \"On Clarity\" and \"What Makes a Short Story.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten with her sharp critical analysis, wit, and enthusiasm, \u003cem\u003eWhat to Read and Why\u003c\/em\u003e is a celebration of literature that will give readers a new appreciation for the power and beauty of the written word.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eProse, Francine:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eFrancine Prose is the author of twenty-one works of fiction including, the highly acclaimed \u003cem\u003eMister Monkey\u003c\/em\u003e; the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestseller \u003cem\u003eLovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eA Changed Man\u003c\/em\u003e, which won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize; and \u003cem\u003eBlue Angel\u003c\/em\u003e, which was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her works of nonfiction include the highly praised \u003cem\u003eAnne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife, \u003c\/em\u003e and the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestseller \u003cem\u003eReading Like a Writer\u003c\/em\u003e, which has become a classic. The recipient of numerous grants and honors, including a Guggenheim and a Fulbright, a Director's Fellow at the Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, Prose is a former president of PEN American Center, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at Bard College.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50844013756690,"sku":"9780062397874","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_ce0438a7-b5b6-4ae8-8d73-b7d666388a5b.jpg?v=1737307013","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/what-to-read-and-why-9780062397874","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}