Seven Stories Press Pity The Reader

Reading this book felt like watching one of those clip compilation episodes of sitcoms. You know the ones, where the family sits down and reminisces about things that happen in the past season while cutting away to said clips. I was hoping for a little more of his advice on writing and a little less examples from his books.I understand the man is dead and shouldn't expect much from a post mortem work, but I thought I would come away with something he taught about writing. I got more from the few personal interjections from McConnell than I did from reading any piece of his work.Writers, seek out King and Lamont for books on writing. Or maybe even pony up for a Masterclass subscription for a year and listen to a variety of authors talk about writing.Hope that helps.

This is marketed as a book by Kurt Vonnegut about how to write well. Really, it's a book by Suzanne McConnell about Kurt Vonnegut and his writing, with lots of excerpts from his novels and, to a lesser extent, quotes from him about writing.As such, it's a good book about Vonnegut, but if you're a writer looking for how-to's, you're likely to be disappointed.

If you want an engaging book about a great writer by an incredible writer and researcher GET THIS BOOK.Suzanne McConnell has given the world a gift by writing one of the best books about a writer and how to write you'll ever read. It's peppered with Vonnegut's advice from his days at the Iowa Writers Workshop and interviews and backed up by samples from his books and letters, all of which are wonderful and of invaluable help to those who wish to write.Look, I've read Stephen KIng's "On Writing", Ursula Leguin's "Steering the Craft" and several others by the greats. All are different. This one is a must have/read. I'd wake up early in the morning and reach for the enjoyment and the learning it alway provided. I suspect you will too.

This book is marketed as a writing guide written by Kurt Vonnegut though it really is more of a memoir of a student of Kurt Vonnegut's. It contains writing by Vonnegut, but really this book is written by Suzanne McConnell. That's perfectly fine, and there is some useful content. But understand what this book is before you buy it. If nothing else, Suzanne McConnell should be listed as the first author.

Suzanne McConnell has cobbled together something that didn't seem possible--with a bibliography, footnotes, and biographical facts. If you write, love Vonnegut, or both, you'll unearth diamonds on practically every page: tidbits about the novels, his simplistic style, and sage advice he must've typed with that rascally Vonnegut grin. Open the book anywhere and you're hooked. Fascinating stuff. - James Gary Vineyard, author of The Grave on Peckerwood Hill