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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.
Sonia heard Raskolnikov’s request distrustfully and moved hesitatingly to the table. She took the book however. “Haven’t you read it?” she asked, looking up at him across the table. Her voice became sterner and sterner. “Long ago.... When I was at school. Read!” “And haven’t you heard it in church?” “I... haven’t been. Do you often go?” “N-no,” whispered Sonia. Raskolnikov smiled. “I understand.... And you won’t go to your father’s funeral to-morrow?” “Yes, I shall. I was at church last week, too... I had a requiem service.” “For whom?” “For Lizaveta. She was killed with an axe.” His nerves were more and more strained. His head began to go round. “Were you friends with Lizaveta?” “Yes.... She was good... she used to come... not often... she couldn’t.... We used to read together and... talk. She will see God.” The last phrase sounded strange in his ears. And here was something new again: the mysterious meetings with Lizaveta and both of them--religious maniacs. “I shall be a religious maniac myself soon! It’s infectious!” “Read!” he cried irritably and insistently.
Other classics
Louisa May Alcott
Aunt Jo’s Scrap-Bag Vol. 1
Virginia Woolf
Mrs. Dalloway
Franz Kafka
The Metamorphosis
Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Ernest Hemingway
In Our Time
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby
Hjalmar Söderberg
Förvillelser
Victoria Benedictsson
Modern
Marcel Proust
Within a Budding Grove
August Strindberg
Röda Rummet
Mary Shelley
Frankenstein
William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
Jane Austen
Emma
Henry David Thoreau
Walden
Emily Brontë
Wuthering Heights
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Cranford
August Strindberg
Inferno
Herman Melville
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
Lewis Carroll
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Marcel Proust
Swann's WayWhy 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