Issue 16 : June 6, 2002
Reading
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.
Stephen King
This is really two books in one. King calls the first part "C.V." for it is a kind of selected autobiography, a curriculum vitae, showing his growth as a writer from childhood. He talks about the reaction to his writing by his family, his schools, and how he persisted in his work. There are many amusing episodes. King also describes his alcoholism, how it affected his life and writing, and his recovery. The second part of the book is about "Writing", with specific directions about the doing of it. This is an entertaining, nuts and bolts view of "writing" and the "writer". There is much good advice in this section. A third brief section returns to the memoir piece of the book with a description of King's near fatal accident in 1999 and his slow recovery, part of which was the writing of this book. King concludes by giving an intriguing reading list of what he considers the best books he has read over the previous three or four years.
I must confess to being a late arrival in the vast number of people who appreciate King's work. Many years ago someone handed me the collection of novellas that contained The Shawshank Redemption and I was impressed, having up to that point ignored King as a "horror" writer. Like all hardcover books these days, the price is hefty. A paperback version is probably about to appear. Any writer will enjoy this book and learn some important lessons. Stephen King is a great story teller. This is a great book.
Scribner, 2000. 288 pages. CAN$ 35.00. ISBN 0-684-85352-3
- William J. Gibson -
Text copyright
© William Joseph Gibson 2002
bluetyger is Made in Canada
A version of this review first appeared in
Mind's Eye of the Mariposa Writers' Group - June 2002 Vol. Issue 6