Chatting Books Online Day 121. We have an ongoing battle in our home, and because we are so utterly boring it is over writing styles. My husband Rob and I both share our writing with the other for critique, proof reading and commentary. We do not, however, always accept the changes suggested. Most of that comes down to writing style. Until now the debate has been between Strunk & White's Elements of Style and Dreyer's English. Or between the simplicity of a Hemingwayesque writing style (his preference); and a more "stream of consciousness" collection of run-on sentences (my natural inclination). Well imagine my husband's delight when he ran across a new entry in the debate: Farnsworth's Classical English Style by Ward Farnsworth. He immediately sent me a review of the book and then asked me to order him several copies so he could "gift" them to me and some of the people he works with . Subtle he is not. That said I actually like the book quite a lot. Instead of being a boring collection of rules it breaks down English grammar by way of examples of great writings from the likes of Churchill, Thoreau, Lincoln, Dickens , and Twain, among many others. In reading this book you not only learn from the example of experts but you also read interesting excerpts that might just provide insight into other works. Now, will the book actually change my writing style? I think from the length of my sentences so far in this recommendation you can see that the change has not been complete as of ye; but Rome wasn't built in a day. (Normally I would go off on a tangent about a visit to Rome but I see now that that may be extraneous - so see I am learning! ).
Today's recommended book, therefore, is Farnsworth's Classical English Style by Ward Farnsworth in which Farnsworth shows how small choices about words, sentences, and paragraphs put force into writing and speech that have stood the test of time. . First publishing 2020. Hardcover. 146 pages. Sells for $27.95 a copy.
Day 121 : Farnsworth's Classical English Style
