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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 Picture of Dorian Gray
by Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray is Oscar Wilde’s only novel, a classic tale that warns against the dangers of vanity, obsession with youth, and moral disregard. Published in 1890, it follows Dorian Gray, a man who remains forever young and beautiful while a portrait of himself bears the marks of his degeneration and moral decay.
all that! As he thought of his aunt, an idea seemed to strike him. He turned to Hallward and said, “My dear fellow, I have just remembered.” “Remembered what, Harry?” “Where I heard the name of Dorian Gray.” “Where was it?” asked Hallward, with a slight frown. “Don’t look so angry, Basil. It was at my aunt, Lady Agatha’s. She told me she had discovered a wonderful young man who was going to help her in the East End, and that his name was Dorian Gray. I am bound to state that she never told me he was good-looking. Women have no appreciation of good looks; at least, good women have not. She said that he was very earnest and had a beautiful nature. I at once pictured to myself a creature with spectacles and lank hair, horribly freckled, and tramping about on huge feet. I wish I had known it was your friend.” “I am very glad you didn’t, Harry.” “Why?” “I don’t want you to meet him.” “You don’t want me to meet him?” “No.” “Mr. Dorian Gray is in the studio, sir,” said the butler, coming into the garden. “You must introduce me now,” cried Lord Henry, laughing.
Other classics
Herman Melville
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
Louisa May Alcott
Aunt Jo’s Scrap-Bag Vol. 1
Henry David Thoreau
Walden
Victoria Benedictsson
Modern
Franz Kafka
The Metamorphosis
Hjalmar Söderberg
Förvillelser
Marcel Proust
Swann's Way
Lewis Carroll
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Jane Austen
Emma
Marcel Proust
Within a Budding Grove
August Strindberg
Inferno
William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
Virginia Woolf
Mrs. Dalloway
Ernest Hemingway
In Our Time
Emily Brontë
Wuthering Heights
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Crime and Punishment
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Cranford
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby
Mary Shelley
Frankenstein
August Strindberg
Röda RummetWhy 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