John Gardner and the Art of FictionAfter reading John Gardner's The Art of Fiction, I am decidedly more informed than before on the subject of writing fiction. The first sentence of this book reads, “This is a book designed to teach the serious beginning writer the art of fiction” (ix). I believe it does just that and perhaps much more. The book is divided into two main sections: "Notes on aesthetic-literary theory" and "Notes on the fictional process". This allows the reader to hear commentary on two very different views of fiction, thus giving the aspiring writer a well-rounded understanding of the subject. While much of this book deals with the method used to write a successful piece of fiction ("notes on the fictional process"), a large section is devoted to helping the student understand exactly what fiction is and what he or she should try to do. create (notes on aesthetic-literary theory). This point is emphasized in the book's preface, in which Gardner explains: "Understanding very clearly what narrative is for, how it works as a mode of thought, in short what the art of narrative is, is the first step towards writing well." (x). From this point in the preface, Gardner goes on to state in the first chapter of the book that there are no fixed rules or laws to follow when writing a piece of fiction. This isn't to say that rules don't exist; however, they can always bend or even break in any situation. In short, the rules for writing a piece of fiction are only what the writer imagines them to be, and as long as the piece of fiction follows some kind of rules, it will not fail. Of all the points made by Gardner in The Art of Fictio...... middle of paper ......it I started reading this book, I have to admit that I had a grudge towards books of this genre. This was mainly because I was under the impression that books like The Art of Fiction were trying to tell you how a piece of fiction should be written. However, I quickly realized that I was wrong. All this book attempts to do is teach the young writer about fiction and the many ways it can be approached. Additionally, Gardner encourages the reader to chart their own path when it comes to writing fiction and not feel bound by a set of rules, an idea I fully agree with. Perhaps the biggest surprise to me about this book is that I actually found it enjoyable and interesting to read. Not only has reading this book made me a better writer, but it has also renewed my interest in writing fiction, an interest I may pursue well beyond high school..