The Craft of Fiction

By Percy Lubbock

Book Overview

"The Craft of Fiction" is a foundational work of literary criticism that examines the structural and narrative techniques employed by the world's most influential novelists. Written by Percy Lubbock, this analytical study delves into the art of storytelling, focusing on how a narrative is constructed and how the author's point of view shapes the reader's experience. Lubbock explores the crucial distinction between showing and telling, a concept that has since become a cornerstone of creative writing pedagogy and literary analysis.

Through careful examination of classics by authors such as Leo Tolstoy, Gustave Flaubert, Henry James, and Honor de Balzac, "The Craft of Fiction" dissects the methods used to achieve dramatic impact and thematic depth. The work addresses the challenges of form and the relationship between the narrator and the story, offering profound insights into the mechanics of the novel as an art form. This book remains an essential resource for students of literature, aspiring writers, and anyone interested in understanding the intricate design behind the world's greatest prose. It stands as a masterclass in reading and writing, providing a clear and methodical approach to the complexities of fictional narrative.

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1025580540
• ISBN13: 9781025580548
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 330 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Foundational

This, like E. M. Forster's "Aspects of the Novel," is an essential work of criticism, and it's nice to see it back in print. Lubbock's outlook is an extension of Henry James's. He is more immediately accessible than the Master, and he illustrates the "craft" by reference to classic novels such as Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina," Flaubert's "Madame Bovary," Thackeray's "Vanity Fair," and of course James's own works, particularly "The Ambassadors." Lubbock, Forster, F. R. Leavis's "The Great Tradition," and Ian Watt's "Rise of the Novel" give you what you need to know if you want to understand the central canon in Anglo-American and European fiction.

A MUST BUY

This is the book recommended by graham greene in his autobiography.he had studied this book inside out before embarking on his illustrious career. I suppose no other stamp off approval is needed after that.....