Farnsworth’s Classical English Rhetoric (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
hmmm, well, it's a masterful collection of examples of how classical rhetoric gains its power. it's a very good walkthrough of how to employ these devices.it's like a cookbook: you can gain this mastery and enjoy these yummies only by doing them, by making them, by spending time with each ingredient, separately.which for this reader means, it's a little disappointing. i wanted to learn how to do it, not just appreciate it. i wanted a roadmap, not a geography.it's not really the book's fault. it is what it says it is. but lacking the practice in using the rhetorical forms, it's just more literary window-dressing. I read a review of this book in the Wall Street Journal. I couldn't sample it online, and so bought it on faith, with a hope that it would be educational and enjoyable. I was not disappointed.I've read several books on rhetoric, and I was familiar with some of the the devices described in this book. Where it excels is in having many examples of rhetoric in action. The author's commentary is concise and quite helpful.I actually fell in love with this book from reading the introduction - a fine piece of writing on its own. I read this book with colored pencils in hand, and I'm sure I'll refer to it in the future.
What do You think about Farnsworth’s Classical English Rhetoric (2009)?
Hugely educational and hugely entertaining - a great combination!
—Eva
A superior bathroom book for hardcore language enthusiasts.
—jocelyn55
I read it in snippets and learn something every time.
—zhongaimei22
