Stanley Fish

Explains how to craft the perfect sentence, as well as how to appreciate well-written prose, and presents examples from William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Henry James, Martin Luther King Jr., Antonin Scalia, and Elmore Leonard.

And How to Read One

How to Write a Sentence

Simon Elliott Stegall

Not a bad little book for what it is. Its main benefit is that Fish collects 30 or 40 fantastic sentences from literature and then shows why they work so well. Downside is that most of Fish's analysis is blubbery.... at least to me. I think anyone with an intuitive grasp of language (which you gain easily enough by reading regularly) can more or less skim his formal critiques of sentences- they are redundant and pedantic.

Vladimir

Some appreciate fine art; others appreciate fine wines. Stanley Fish appreciates fine sentences. The New York Times columnist and world-class professor has long been an aficionado of language. Like a seasoned sportscaster, Fish marvels at the adeptness of finely crafted sentences and breaks them down into digestible morsels, giving readers an instant play-by-play. In this entertaining and erudite gem, Fish offers both sentence craft and sentence pleasure, skills invaluable to any writer (or reader). How to Write a Sentence is both a spirited love letter to the written word and a key to understanding how great writing works; it is a book that will stand the test of time.

Bryce Taylor

Katie Day

Angelo Zinna

Xavier Roy

“Like a long periodic sentence, this book rumbles along, gathers steam, shifts gears, and packs a wallop.” —Roy Blount Jr. “Language lovers will flock to this homage to great writing.” —Booklist Outspoken New York Times columnist Stanley Fish offers an entertaining, erudite analysis of language and rhetoric in this delightful celebration of the written word. Drawing on a wide range of great writers, from Philip Roth to Antonin Scalia to Jane Austen and beyond, Fish’s How to Write a Sentence is much more than a writing manual—it is a penetrating exploration into the art and craft of sentences.

How to Write a Sentence And How to Read One

Reviews