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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.
Saturday night, or rather Sunday morning, in peddling his head around this town?” “That’s precisely it,” said the landlord, “and I told him he couldn’t sell it here, the market’s overstocked.” “With what?” shouted I. “With heads to be sure; ain’t there too many heads in the world?” “I tell you what it is, landlord,” said I, quite calmly, “you’d better stop spinning that yarn to me—I’m not green.” “May be not,” taking out a stick and whittling a toothpick, “but I rayther guess you’ll be done _brown_ if that ere harpooneer hears you a slanderin’ his head.” “I’ll break it for him,” said I, now flying into a passion again at this unaccountable farrago of the landlord’s. “It’s broke a’ready,” said he. “Broke,” said I—“_broke_, do you mean?” “Sartain, and that’s the very reason he can’t sell it, I guess.” “Landlord,” said I, going up to him as cool as Mt. Hecla in a snow storm,—“landlord, stop whittling. You and I must understand one another, and that too without delay. I come to your house and want a bed; you tell me you can only give me half a one; that the other half
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F. Scott Fitzgerald
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Emily Brontë
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August Strindberg
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Förvillelser
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Within a Budding Grove
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The Metamorphosis
Oscar Wilde
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ModernWhy 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