Write as |
Practice your writing by typing out classic literature. This method not only enhances your understanding of rhythm, structure, and nuances but also connects you deeply with the timeless flow of literary history.This is a BETA version.
Cranford
by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Cranford is a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, first published in 1851. It is a humorous and poignant portrayal of the lives of the residents of the small town of Cranford, focusing on the experiences of the town, particularly the lives of the town's older residents. The novel is a social satire that explores themes of society, social dynamics, and the human condition.
turn, as it flows from Cheyne Row, towards the sunset, past Fulham Palace, where the Bishops dwell, and Hampton Court and its histories, out into the country plains beyond. Mrs. Gaskell was born in that propitious hour of the great men and women who came into the world in the beginning of this century: may the next hundred years bring to our descendants many more such birthdays! She belonged to a good stock on either side; her father came from Berwick upon Tweed, that city built upon the rock; he was Mr. William Stevenson, a Unitarian minister. There is a tradition that the Stevensons came originally from Norway, and there are old family papers in which the name is spelled Stevensen. Mrs. Gaskell liked to think of her Scandinavian forefathers, and when she went away now and again for little jaunts and expeditions, such as she always enjoyed, she used to laugh and say that the blood of the Vikings her ancestors was rising in her veins. She was always tenderly attached to her father’s memory, and proud and fond of him, and he must have been indeed a most interesting and delightful character. A letter lately written to the Athenæum,
Other classics
William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
Marcel Proust
Within a Budding Grove
Ernest Hemingway
In Our Time
Virginia Woolf
Mrs. Dalloway
Franz Kafka
The Metamorphosis
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Crime and Punishment
Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Hjalmar Söderberg
Förvillelser
Lewis Carroll
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby
Mary Shelley
Frankenstein
Emily Brontë
Wuthering Heights
August Strindberg
Röda Rummet
Marcel Proust
Swann's Way
Louisa May Alcott
Aunt Jo’s Scrap-Bag Vol. 1
August Strindberg
Inferno
Jane Austen
Emma
Victoria Benedictsson
Modern
Herman Melville
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
Henry David Thoreau
WaldenWhy Type a Masterpiece?
Typing out classical literature is not just an exercise in patience; it's a deeply immersive way to understand the rhythm, structure, and nuances of great writing. By manually reproducing the works of renowned authors, you engage with the text on a level that reading alone cannot offer. This method allows you to feel the flow of sentences, the choice of words, and the intricate construction of paragraphs that make these works timeless.
Style is a very simple matter; it is all rhythm. Once you get that, you can't use the wrong words.
– Virginia Woolf
literati is a unique platform where writers can select from a vast collection of public domain classics to type out. This practice is akin to a musician playing pieces by the masters to internalize the elements of composition and performance. Just as the musician learns the subtleties of each note and chord, the writer learns the power of each word and sentence.
Prose is like hair; it shines with combing.
– Gustave Flaubert
Engaging directly with masterpieces allows writers to absorb the rhythm of the text, the ebb and flow of its pacing, and the beauty of its imagery. It cultivates an appreciation for the craft of writing and provides invaluable lessons in how to construct compelling narratives, develop characters, and evoke emotions in readers. Happy typing!
The only truth is music.
– Jack Kerouac