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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.

Type the words from the book. We gave you 4 words to start with.

The first volume of Proust's seven-part novel, In Search of Lost Time, Swann's Way is the auspicious beginning of Proust's most prominent work. A mature, unnamed narrator recalls his experiences while growing up in the home of his aunt and uncle. This novel is notable for its profound psychological insight and the author's reflections on the nature of art and time.

Read more about Marcel Proust
More works by Marcel Proust
Swann's Way
or less closely related to some family in Combray. It would turn out to
be Mme. Sauton's son discharged from the army, or the Abbé Perdreau's
niece come home from her convent, or the Curé's brother, a tax-collector
at Châteaudun, who had just retired on a pension or had come over to
Combray for the holidays. On first noticing them you have been impressed
by the thought that there might be in Combray people whom you 'didn't
know at all,' simply because you had failed to recognise or identify
them at once. And yet long beforehand Mme. Sauton and the Curé had given
warning that they expected their 'strangers.' In the evening, when I
came in and went upstairs to tell my aunt the incidents of our walk, if
I was rash enough to say to her that we had passed, near the Pont-Vieux,
a man whom my grandfather didn't know:

"A man grandfather didn't know at all!" she would exclaim. "That's a
likely story." None the less, she would be a little disturbed by
the news, she would wish to have the details correctly, and so my
grandfather would be summoned. "Who can it have been that you passed
near the Pont-Vieux, uncle? A man you didn't know at all?"
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Why 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

More on this topic:

"Imitate then innovate", an article by David Perell