French Literature Reviews - 2026
Viktor Shklovsky, Technique of the Writer's Craft
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics
Viktor Shklovsky, Technique of the Writer's Craft
Translated by Paul Lequesne
L'ESPRIT DES PENINSULES, 2006
ISBN : 2-84636-093-6
EAN : 9782846360937
€11.00
"There are several thousand writers today. That is enormous." Technique of the Writer's Craft serves as a genuine practical manual intended for anyone seeking to make their literary debut. Wry, witty, and written in clear language with illustrations from the great authors—Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Dickens, Maupassant, and Chekhov—this lively little book teaches readers why it is best not to rush into becoming a professional writer, how to write an article, how to develop a plot, construct a character, and why one should collect words. Had this work been distributed earlier in our latitudes, there is no doubt that the French reader might have been spared the debut novel of some television presenter or the latest production by some academician victimized by the well-known properties of the laurel wreath: both might perhaps have realized that before writing, they should have at least chosen and structured a subject.
Journalistic work
Literary prose
Choosing and developing the plot outline
Developing the work
A few words on poetry
Viktor Shklovsky (1893–1984), a theoretician of the Russian Formalist school, was also a journalist, film editor, screenwriter, and brilliant novelist. L'Esprit des Péninsules has published his Zoo, or Letters Not About Love and Third Factory. His influence on Russian writers of his own and subsequent generations is immense.
This volume belongs to the broader tradition of authors reflecting on their own medium, sitting alongside writerly guides and treatises on craft from various literary periods. Viktor Shklovsky (1893–1984) was a theoretician of the Russian Formalist school, as well as a journalist, film editor, screenwriter, and novelist. His influence on Russian writers of his own and subsequent generations is immense, and his work bridges formal analysis with practical observations on writing.
Readers interested in Russian literature, formalist criticism, or the practical foundations of prose composition may find this translation relevant. The text touches upon fundamental aspects of literary work, including plot development, journalistic writing, and the careful selection of language, presenting an accessible glimpse into the perspectives of an influential twentieth-century literary theorist.