How Fiction Works apparently thinks of itself as the modern replacement for E.M Forester’s Aspects of the Novel and debates with that classic continually. Though this book has some good observations, it is quite a bit more academic and gives higher value to high literature that I am confident I would not enjoy by his descriptions and excerpts.
I find value in this book as a sparring partner and worth reading if that is what you are looking for. It most definitely does not replace Aspects of the Novel, though. Most of the topics in this book are very abstract, things like: does a fictional character really exists, or does irrelevant details in a novel reflect reality.
The history of consciousness in the development of modern novel writing was surprisingly interesting to me. I think this book would be very useful for a literary critic or one genuinely interested in the psychology of books. For the average writer, this book is probably a pass.
Check out my young adult fantasy fiction novels HERE for something optimistic and fun.
If you like this article, consider subscribing to my quarterly newsletter.
What do you think?