Adam Sexton

To learn the art and craft of writing, one must do two things -- one must read and one must write. Both are far more complex than that simple statement can elucidate, but this book delves into those twin tasks with great skill and depth. Through a series of guided readings, Sexton takes us through works of masterful literature and helps us see what makes these particular works stand out. It isn't necessary that we like a particular work, only that we can look at it, grasp how it works, and take that information into our own writing. The essays exploring each work are far better than the usual creative writing class or literature class lecture -- accessible, interesting, light, occasionally humorous.

This is not a casual book, but a book that can easily fill a year with study, or even longer if attended to assiduously. It's a book worth reading many times.… (more)

An excellent resource for students who are already studying Shakespeare's Macbeth in its original form, and a great way to get students interested in the Bard's work, this resource would fall short if used as a stand alone. Although the illustrations are excellent and match the mood of the plot very well, too much of the text has been left out of this edition and readers may not understand all of the action. Additional resources, such as a reader's guide listing characters and their relationships would help to make the plot a bit more accessible to the reader.… (more)