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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.
Crime and Punishment
by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Crime and Punishment is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It was first published in the literary journal The Russian Messenger in twelve monthly installments during 1866. It is the second of Dostoyevsky's full-length novels following his return from 5 years of exile in Siberia and is considered the first great novel of his "mature" period of writing. The novel is often cited as one of the supreme achievements in literature.
vividly. He shuddered at every ring and it gave him more and more satisfaction. “Well, what do you want? Who are you?” the workman shouted, going out to him. Raskolnikov went inside again. “I want to take a flat,” he said. “I am looking round.” “It’s not the time to look at rooms at night! and you ought to come up with the porter.” “The floors have been washed, will they be painted?” Raskolnikov went on. “Is there no blood?” “What blood?” “Why, the old woman and her sister were murdered here. There was a perfect pool there.” “But who are you?” the workman cried, uneasy. “Who am I?” “Yes.” “You want to know? Come to the police station, I’ll tell you.” The workmen looked at him in amazement. “It’s time for us to go, we are late. Come along, Alyoshka. We must lock up,” said the elder workman. “Very well, come along,” said Raskolnikov indifferently, and going out first, he went slowly downstairs. “Hey, porter,” he cried in the gateway. At the entrance several people were standing, staring at the passers-by; the two porters, a peasant woman, a man in a long coat and a few others.
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Walden
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Victoria Benedictsson
Modern
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Cranford
Ernest Hemingway
In Our Time
Mary Shelley
Frankenstein
Louisa May Alcott
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August Strindberg
Röda Rummet
Herman Melville
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
Hjalmar Söderberg
Förvillelser
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby
Lewis Carroll
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Marcel Proust
Within a Budding Grove
William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
Jane Austen
Emma
Emily Brontë
Wuthering Heights
Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian GrayWhy 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