A pleasure to read, a treasure to own: Getting the Words Right review

Getting the Words Right

I was slogging my way through a novel when I downloaded Getting the Words Right by Theodore A. Rees Cheney.  You might think the novel would have held my interest against capture by a book subtitled: 39 ways to improve your writing.  But, you’d be wrong.  Even though the novel was written by a prize winning author and had a compelling plot and characters, the style was awful.  It was as though I was riding a bike uphill into a headwind. Cheney’s book was like coasting downhill.  His book not only showed me why I hated reading  the novel, but gave me clear examples of how writing can be improved—and why it should be.  Cheney’s style shows as well as tells what’s good and what’s better.  The book is so well written, the examples so relevant, that any reader would enjoy it.  Those who aspire to write well will treasure it.  To top it off, Cheney includes his recommended readings: more good books for better writing in any genre.    

Several reviewers have criticized the type size of the printed version.  I recommend the Kindle edition for those of us who prefer larger type.  I make use of the underlining functions and note taking features of the kindle and along with its search capability; I anticipate using my Kindle edition as a trusted reference tool.