Essays in the Art of Writing

audiobook

Essays in the Art of Writing

by Robert Louis Stevenson

EN·~2 hours·9 chapters

Chapters

9 total
1

Transcribed from the 1905 Chatto & Windus edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org

0:34
2

ON SOME TECHNICAL ELEMENTS OF STYLE IN LITERATURE

38:19
3

THE MORALITY OF THE PROFESSION OF LETTERS

23:35
4

BOOKS WHICH HAVE INFLUENCED ME

14:29
5

A NOTE ON REALISM

13:31
6

MY FIRST BOOK: ‘TREASURE ISLAND’

19:21
7

THE GENESIS OF ‘THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE’

6:55
8

PREFACE TO ‘THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE’

7:15
9

FOOTNOTES

1:30

Description

In this thoughtful collection, the author turns his keen eye to the mechanics of storytelling and the responsibilities that come with the written word. The essays wander from the technicalities of style—how a writer selects and arranges words like bricks in a mosaic—to more personal topics such as the books that shaped his imagination and the moral obligations of the literary profession. Early chapters also reminisce about the birth of his famous adventure tales, giving listeners a rare glimpse into the creative spark behind those stories.

The prose is lively and peppered with vivid analogies, comparing the writer’s toolbox to a sculptor’s clay or a musician’s drum. Readers are invited to consider why certain word choices resonate, how realism can be balanced with imagination, and what it means to craft a narrative that both entertains and endures. Whether you are an aspiring author or simply curious about the art of language, the essays offer clear, engaging observations that illuminate the hidden gears of literature.

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Details

Language

en

Duration

~2 hours (120K characters)

Release date

1996-04-01

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson

1850–1894

Known for unforgettable tales of adventure and divided selves, this Scottish writer brought both restless imagination and real-world travel into his fiction. His books still feel lively, suspenseful, and surprisingly modern.

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