Literature and writing books

Literature and writing books to start from. Open one to see books like it, or tell BookSense what you loved for four picks made for you.

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New to the genre? These 5 are the books to read first.

Poetics
Aristotle
The earliest surviving systematic treatment of drama and tragedy, and the source of many later ideas about plot, character and catharsis. Its year is approximate; the Open Library record's 1536 is the date of an early printed edition.
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The Oedipus Tyrannus
Sophocles
A central Greek tragedy about a king who discovers he has unknowingly killed his father and married his mother, widely read as a model of dramatic irony and plot structure. The year is approximate; the Open Library record's 1715 is an editi
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Bird by Bird
Anne Lamott
A widely read writing guide mixing practical advice on drafting and revision with personal anecdote about writing life.
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Boy
Roald Dahl
A memoir of the author's childhood, often read alongside his fiction for its source material and plain, direct prose.
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I'm Glad My Mom Died
Jennette McCurdy
A memoir about childhood acting and a difficult relationship with a parent, and one of the most-read recent memoirs in this listing.
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