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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.
‘You look more like a prince. I must call you Prince Charming.’” “Upon my word, Dorian, Miss Sibyl knows how to pay compliments.” “You don’t understand her, Harry. She regarded me merely as a person in a play. She knows nothing of life. She lives with her mother, a faded tired woman who played Lady Capulet in a sort of magenta dressing-wrapper on the first night, and looks as if she had seen better days.” “I know that look. It depresses me,” murmured Lord Henry, examining his rings. “The Jew wanted to tell me her history, but I said it did not interest me.” “You were quite right. There is always something infinitely mean about other people’s tragedies.” “Sibyl is the only thing I care about. What is it to me where she came from? From her little head to her little feet, she is absolutely and entirely divine. Every night of my life I go to see her act, and every night she is more marvellous.” “That is the reason, I suppose, that you never dine with me now. I thought you must have some curious romance on hand. You have; but it is not quite what I expected.” “My dear Harry, we either lunch or sup together every day, and I have
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Ernest Hemingway
In Our Time
Marcel Proust
Swann's Way
Hjalmar Söderberg
Förvillelser
August Strindberg
Röda Rummet
Victoria Benedictsson
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August Strindberg
Inferno
Louisa May Alcott
Aunt Jo’s Scrap-Bag Vol. 1
Mary Shelley
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Herman Melville
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
Lewis Carroll
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Virginia Woolf
Mrs. Dalloway
Emily Brontë
Wuthering Heights
Henry David Thoreau
Walden
Jane Austen
Emma
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
CranfordWhy 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