How to Fail in Literature: A Lecture by Andrew Lang
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"How to Fail in Literature: A Lecture by Andrew Lang" is a humorous and insightful lecture written in the late 19th century by Andrew Lang, an influential Scottish poet and critic. This book serves as a critique and guide, exploring the pitfalls aspiring writers must navigate in their literary pursuits. Lang employs wit and irony to convey his thoughts on the literary profession, emphasizing the diversity of intent among writers and the
frequent missteps leading to failure in this competitive field. In this lecture, Lang outlines various behaviors, habits, and attitudes that can contribute to a writer's demise in the literary world. He suggests that to truly fail, one should neglect education, avoid observation, and rely on poorly constructed writing. By giving examples of bad style and misguided ambition, Lang elaborates on how imitating other authors poorly, having nothing meaningful to say, and fostering relationships with unsympathetic critics can all lead to disaster. Ultimately, he concludes that while many who strive for literary success may fail, there exists a deeper fulfillment in engaging with literature for its own sake—emphasizing that true success in writing lies in dedication to the craft, originality, and genuine expression rather than mere acclaim. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Lang, Andrew, 1844-1912 |
|---|---|
| Title | How to Fail in Literature: A Lecture |
| Credits | Transcribed from the 1890 Field & Tuer edition by David Price |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 64.2 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections |
| Subject | Authorship -- Humor |
| Subject | Literature -- Humor |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 2566 |
| Release Date | Mar 1, 2001 |
| Last Update | Jan 1, 2021 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 383 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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