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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.

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The Horror at Red Hook

by H.P. Lovecraft

The Horror at Red Hook is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. Written on August 1–2, 1925, it was first published in the January 1927 issue of Weird Tales (Vol. 9, No. 1, p. 73–94). It is based on the urban legend of the Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York, and tells the story of a New York City detective who encounters, and becomes involved in, a series of occult-related events.

Read more about H.P. Lovecraft
The Horror at Red Hook
much older and how much blacker than the very worst of the muttered
tales some of them might really be.




III

It was the case of Robert Suydam which took Malone to the heart of
things in Red Hook.  Suydam was a lettered recluse of ancient Dutch
family, possessed originally of barely independent means, and
inhabiting the spacious but ill-preserved mansion which his
grandfather had built in Flatbush when that village was little more
then a pleasant group of Colonial cottages surrounding the steepled
and ivy-clad Reformed Church with its iron-railed yard of
Netherlandish gravestones.  In this lonely house, set back from
Martense Street amidst a yard of venerable trees, Suydam had read and
brooded for some six decades except for a period a generation before,
when he had sailed for the Old World and remained there out of sight
for eight years.  He could afford no servants, and would admit but
few visitors to his absolute solitude; eschewing close friendships
and receiving his rare acquaintances in one of the three ground-floor
rooms, which he kept in order--a vast, high-ceiled library whose
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Why 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

More on this topic:

"Imitate then innovate", an article by David Perell