ShelfLook
Tools About
Cover of A Short Guide to Writing About Literature

How long does it take to read A Short Guide to Writing About Literature?

Sylvan Barnet, William Cain, B, William E. Cain

A Short Guide to Writing About Literature by Sylvan Barnet, William Cain, B, William E. Cain takes about 6 hours 50 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.

About 6 hours 50 minutes

A weekend read

First published 1968. 373 pages, about 102,575 words.

14 days at 30 minutes a day

Estimate based on 275 words per page.

At other speeds

Slow, 150 words a minute 11 hours 24 minutes
Average, 250 words a minute 6 hours 50 minutes
Fast, 400 words a minute 4 hours 16 minutes

The page count is the median across 24 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.

About the book

Part of Longman's successful Short Guide Series, A Short Guide to Writing about Literature emphasizes writing as a process and incorporates new critical approaches to writing about literature. The twelfth edition continues to offer students sound advice on how to become critical thinkers and enrich their reading response through accessible, step-by-step instruction. This highly respected text is ideal as a supplement to any course where writing about literature or literary studies is emphasized. Part I (Chs. 1-5) emphasizes the close connections between reading and writing, reflecting the need for good writers to be effective, analytic readers. Part II (Chs. 6-9) offers strategies and practical guidelines for understanding how literature "works" (form and meaning), and for understanding the differences between interpretation and evaluation. Part III (Chs. 10-15) explores the differences between writing about fiction, drama, and poetry, and includes an in-depth look at the writing of a single author (Langston Hughes). Part IV (Chs. 16-17) offers guidance for writing academic papers including research and formatting. Appendices include two stories that are the subjects of student essays in the book, a glossary of literary terms, and a quick review quiz. A wealth of student papers, including preliminary notes, drafts, and revisions of drafts appear throughout the book. Checklists on a variety of topics offer brief, effective guidelines. - Publisher.

Subjects: Criticism, Academic writing, Rhetoric, Theory, History and criticism, Handbooks, manuals

More by Sylvan Barnet

Books like this

Popular books of similar length