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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.
The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel set in the Jazz Age on Long Island near New York City in 1922. It tells the story of the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his passion and obsession with the beautiful former debutante Daisy Buchanan. The novel explores themes of decadence, idealism, resistance to change, social upheaval, and excess, creating a portrait of the Roaring Twenties that has been described as a cautionary tale regarding the American Dream.
start to play with the faith of fifty million people—with the single-mindedness of a burglar blowing a safe. “How did he happen to do that?” I asked after a minute. “He just saw the opportunity.” “Why isn’t he in jail?” “They can’t get him, old sport. He’s a smart man.” I insisted on paying the check. As the waiter brought my change I caught sight of Tom Buchanan across the crowded room. “Come along with me for a minute,” I said; “I’ve got to say hello to someone.” When he saw us Tom jumped up and took half a dozen steps in our direction. “Where’ve you been?” he demanded eagerly. “Daisy’s furious because you haven’t called up.” “This is Mr. Gatsby, Mr. Buchanan.” They shook hands briefly, and a strained, unfamiliar look of embarrassment came over Gatsby’s face. “How’ve you been, anyhow?” demanded Tom of me. “How’d you happen to come up this far to eat?” “I’ve been having lunch with Mr. Gatsby.” I turned toward Mr. Gatsby, but he was no longer there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ One October day in nineteen-seventeen—
Other classics
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Crime and Punishment
Virginia Woolf
Mrs. Dalloway
Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray
August Strindberg
Inferno
Marcel Proust
Within a Budding Grove
Herman Melville
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
Hjalmar Söderberg
Förvillelser
Louisa May Alcott
Aunt Jo’s Scrap-Bag Vol. 1
August Strindberg
Röda Rummet
Lewis Carroll
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Marcel Proust
Swann's Way
William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
Henry David Thoreau
Walden
Jane Austen
Emma
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Cranford
Emily Brontë
Wuthering Heights
Victoria Benedictsson
Modern
Mary Shelley
Frankenstein
Ernest Hemingway
In Our Time
Franz Kafka
The MetamorphosisWhy 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