Burning Down the House: Essays on Fiction

by Charles Baxter
Burning Down the House: Essays on Fiction
published
February 1st 1998 by Graywolf Press
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binding
Paperback, 248 pages

isbn
1555972705   (isbn13: 9781555972707)

description
For fiction lovers, history and social commentary on the genre is a thought-provoking addition to reading. Novelist Charles Baxter's essays on contemp...more





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Richard
Richard rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
07/11/08

Read in August, 2007
The best essays in this collection present the idea of a thinking writer talking about writing--not just a critic's point of view, not just a teacher's point of view. The shortcomings of the critical perspective are, I think, obvious, but the pedagogical standpoint can also be limiting in that it can too easily fall into workshop mentality, where everything is immediately accesible and clear, and good fiction does not work to please immediately but resonate much further into a person's existence...more
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Derek
Derek rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
10/05/07

Already, I can picture a tattered copy of this book sitting on my shelf, marked with hundreds of pencil marks and sticky notes, years down the line. I can't imagine this book not being useful for a writer, nor can I imagine ever having learned all of its lessons. Burning Down the House (yes, that's the Talking Heads he's referencing) is full of astute advice, not only on writing, but on our whole interaction with culture, society, and storytelling. It's not a writing guide per say (the su...more
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Steven
Steven rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
05/09/08

bookshelves: short-story-theory, writing
His focus--as is the focus of most books on writing from the faculties of American Creative Writing programs (or books aimed at their students)--is on Realism, the so called well-made realist story. Keeping that focus caveat in mind, this is the best book about writing fiction I’ve ever read. I’ve read it through thrice, and some of the essays five or six times, and every time through I find something new and powerful. The unspoken message of these essays is to forget everything you think a ...more
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Jane
Jane rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
08/29/08

Read in August, 2008
This is a thoughtful, surprising, and quietly exciting set of linked essays on fiction. Though it's by a fiction writer, this is not (thank goodness) another how-to. Baxter observes aspects of fiction -- protagonists, melodrama, places and objects, action -- and revealingly reads examples of them in works by such authors as Jane Smiley, Grace Paley, Chekhov, Sylvia Townsend Warner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Wright Morris, Marilynne Robinson, Donald Barthelme, and others. Baxter shows us new ways o...more
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Steven
07/01/08

Read in June, 2008
This is an excellent collection of essays, for both writers and readers of literary fiction. The essays are written from a teacher's perspective (Baxter was heading the MFA program at the University of Michigan while working on this book), one who notices trends in his students' work and then examines those trends to see how they fit in the literary culture at large. Baxter is an astute observer of this culture, well read in literature, philosophy, and psychology, and able to apply all three t...more
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Margery
Margery rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
08/08/07

bookshelves: favorites
Read in August, 2007
recommends it for: writers
This is a great book if you don't want "how to's" about writing, but rather want to know what an excellent fiction writer thinks is important about today's writing. There are ways to improve your own writing by reading (and thinking about) this book, but they're more in the realm of philosophical ideas. An example: Baxter thinks that this culture's recent passive approach to responsibility ("mistakes were made" a la Richard Nixon) has influenced its fiction as well. We don't ...more
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Graywolf
bookshelves: books-on-writing, essays, nonfiction
Read in September, 2008
“[The book:] is a pleasure to read, and it performs an important function—by mucking around in the problems that plague contemporary fiction, Burning Down the House may spur both readers and writers first to a recognition of guilty complicity and then to constructive thought.”NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

“In nine brilliant essays, Baxter displays his characteristic wit and intelligence as he muses about the influences of culture and politics on the art of storytelling....more
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Felicity
Felicity rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
03/31/08

bookshelves: essays, grad-school, nonfiction, signed, writing-craft
Read in March, 2008
recommends it for: fiction writers
Not a writing craft book in the literal sense, this is a collection of craft talks. Mostly they center on problems in or with contemporary fiction, which is not as dour or negative as it sounds; rather, it presents the challenge and promise of rules and habits engrained in writers and writing culture. It is often funny, beautiful, and/or thought-provoking. It is, in fact, more or less the perfect book for trying to "find the rules, break the rules."

Also, it's painfully quotable. I ...more
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Sara
Sara rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
08/18/08

Read in August, 2008
A magnificent set of essays about contemporary American fiction from one of its preeminent practioners. Intelligent without being too erudite and full of fascinating concepts, Baxter's explications of classic fiction elements and sadly missed devices makes me want to elevate my own writing to a level he could appreciate. Highly recommended for any fiction writer or part-time English lit. scholar
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Leilani
Leilani rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
12/14/07

Read in December, 2007
Charles Baxter's thoughts on writing make sense to me. I like the depth and seriousness with which he approaches the craft of good writing in addition to the political context in which he locates his analysis. The first three essays are great, especially "On Defamiliarization." Great for anyone interested in deepening either their writing or reading abilities.
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Kevin
Kevin rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
06/21/07

recommends it for: Fiction Writers
A wonderful collection of essays on writing fiction--Baxter melds personal experience, textual resources and philosophical stances on the nature of writing and storytelling to craft an advanced writers guide that is as challenging as it is inspiring.
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Nicholas
Nicholas rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
05/11/07

Read in March, 2007
Counterpointed Characterizan and Stillness and Silences are two essays that I continually go back to when I struggle with a project. Baxter is funny and puts the reader and writer at ease and wary of their duty to the written word.
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Ian
Ian rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
01/07/08

A *great* book of essays on fiction and the writing process -- Not at all pedantic (though helpful).

Heavy! Funny. Philosophical. A sleeper and a mold-breaker in this crowded and generally bland mold.
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Dan
Dan rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
01/15/08

A thought provoking and often very funny look at culture through stories. Baxter has a keen eye for patterns of deception and a refreshing kind of analysis coming from history of lit and class politics
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Ryan
Ryan rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
05/20/07

recommends it for: writers
Essays about writing that aren't preachy, but more like meditations on things like characters and their mistakes. I only give it three stars because some of his ideas, I felt were off the mark.
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Tim
Tim rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
11/06/07

bookshelves: writing
Read in January, 2004
recommends it for: writers
Great essays and experiences. For writers of all stages, this is a good place in which to turn and examine the craft, and think about what you are doing and why.
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Michelle
Michelle added it
09/15/07

Because I like to read non-fiction about fiction. And I LOVE Charles Baxter. He's nice and let me nurse my new babe during his reading.
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Barbara
Barbara rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
10/19/07

bookshelves: about_writing, my_library
I read this before but I'm reading it again because I so like what Baxter says about writing. And I like that he's anti-phony epiphany.
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  2 comments

Celeste
Celeste rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
05/31/07

bookshelves: books-on-writing
recommends it for: fiction writers and fiction readers
The best collections of essays on fiction I've ever read. Insightful, accessible, and yet somehow still elegantly written themselves.
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Susan
Susan rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
03/12/08

Read in January, 2008
Terrific, discursive writing on issues related to writing fiction. I typed out great swathes of it to give my writing students.
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book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 4.26 (208 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 4.21 (207 ratings)
number of reviews: 30







other editions

Burning Down the House: Essays on Fiction (Paperback)
Burning Down the House: Essays on Fiction (Paperback)









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