Reading Like a Writer is a description of writing. It focuses on the use of the word in literature, and makes excellent use of examples for well-known books to illustrate her points. Francine Prose describes the strengths of her selected passages and why the wording is important.
The book is aimed at improving the readers ability to appreciate good literature. She discusses the nuances of word use, picking at the meaning of individual words, and what is not said and why that is important. She talks about the use of paragraphs, and how changing the paragraphing changes meaning of text. She shows how to derive meaning from what isn’t stated in the text, and makes me appreciate the effort that a quality writer goes to to get the words right.
After reading this work, I feel I have a new respect for literature. I’m eager to try to tackle some of the books she’s recommended.