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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.
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
by Herman Melville
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale is a novel by Herman Melville, published in 1851. It narrates the voyage of the Pequod, a whaling ship commanded by Captain Ahab, who is driven by an obsessive quest to kill Moby Dick, the white whale that on a previous voyage destroyed his ship and severed his leg at the knee. It is a profound and complex work that explores themes of vengeance, the quest for knowledge, and the nature of good and evil.
Stubb, what have you to complain of? Didn’t he kick with right good will? it wasn’t a common pitch pine leg he kicked with, was it? No, you were kicked by a great man, and with a beautiful ivory leg, Stubb. It’s an honor; I consider it an honor. Listen, wise Stubb. In old England the greatest lords think it great glory to be slapped by a queen, and made garter-knights of; but, be _your_ boast, Stubb, that ye were kicked by old Ahab, and made a wise man of. Remember what I say; _be_ kicked by him; account his kicks honors; and on no account kick back; for you can’t help yourself, wise Stubb. Don’t you see that pyramid?’ With that, he all of a sudden seemed somehow, in some queer fashion, to swim off into the air. I snored; rolled over; and there I was in my hammock! Now, what do you think of that dream, Flask?” “I don’t know; it seems a sort of foolish to me, tho’.” “May be, may be. But it’s made a wise man of me, Flask. D’ye see Ahab standing there, sideways looking over the stern? Well, the best thing you can do, Flask, is to let that old man alone; never speak to him, whatever he says. Halloa! what’s that he shouts? Hark!”
Other classics
August Strindberg
Röda Rummet
Marcel Proust
Swann's Way
Franz Kafka
The Metamorphosis
Henry David Thoreau
Walden
Mary Shelley
Frankenstein
Marcel Proust
Within a Budding Grove
William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Cranford
Victoria Benedictsson
Modern
Emily Brontë
Wuthering Heights
Virginia Woolf
Mrs. Dalloway
Hjalmar Söderberg
Förvillelser
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Crime and Punishment
Louisa May Alcott
Aunt Jo’s Scrap-Bag Vol. 1
Jane Austen
Emma
Lewis Carroll
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
August Strindberg
Inferno
Ernest Hemingway
In Our TimeWhy 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