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View Full Version : Reference Bierce, Ambrose: Write It Right. 06 Oct 07


RWood
10-06-2007, 10:27 PM
From 1909 this "Little Blacklist of Literary Faults" is a true gem of writing help in using the right word. From the introduction:
The author’s main purpose in this book is to teach precision in writing; and of good writing (which, essentially, is clear thinking made visible) precision is the point of capital concern. It is attained by choice of the word that accurately and adequately expresses what the writer has in mind, and by exclusion of that which either denotes or connotes something else. As Quintilian puts it, the writer should so write that his reader not only may, but must, understand.

I have added the alphabetical indexed section heads.

Patricia
10-07-2007, 04:24 PM
An extremely useful book.

RWood
10-07-2007, 04:40 PM
I am glad that you enjoyed it.

It is interesting how many things in English -- the most dynamic of all current languages -- have remained constant for almost 100 years. I am glad that you enjoyed it. I have a few more Bierce books to post. tsgreer previously posted his most famous work, An Occurrence at Owl Creek, back in July; however, that was for Sony BBeB/LRF only so I may add another edition to our growing MobileRead library in multiple formats.