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True Stories

And Other Essays
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( 52 ratings, 13 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
True Stories is a compelling collection of essays by Francis Spufford, spanning from the 1990s to the present. Through a series of encounters with diverse subjects—from medieval legends to Christian apologetics and political history—Spufford explores the intricate relationship between storytelling and truth. He examines how nonfiction writers bring facts to life, novelists create believable fictional worlds, and how faith intertwines with imaginative writing. His essays provide fresh insights and provoke thought, making the book a captivating read.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This collection is ideal for readers interested in thoughtful, wide-ranging essays about literature, faith, culture, and storytelling. Those who appreciate intellectually stimulating writing with a graceful, unpredictable style will find this book especially rewarding.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

An irresistible collection of favourite writings from an author celebrated for his bravura style and sheer unpredictability.

Francis Spufford’s welcome first volume of collected essays gathers an array of his compelling writings from the 1990s to the present. He makes use of a variety of encounters with particular places, writers, or books to address deeper questions relating to the complicated relationship between story-telling and truth-telling.

How must a nonfiction writer imagine facts, vivifying them to bring them to life? How must a novelist create a dependable world of story, within which facts are, in fact, imaginary? And how does a religious faith felt strongly to be true, but not provably so, draw on both kinds of writerly imagination?

Ranging freely across topics as diverse as the medieval legends of Cockaigne, the Christian apologetics of C. S. Lewis, and the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini, Spufford provides both fresh observations and thought-provoking insights. No less does he inspire an irresistible urge to turn the page and read on.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised for its intellectual breadth and vivid style, True Stories has been described as a career-spanning collection that offers fresh perspectives on books, religion, and technology. Critics highlight Spufford's authority, passion, and wit, noting that he is "incapable of dullness" and has an "addictively quotable" style. Reviewers have admired his blending of fact with fiction and his open engagement with uncertainty, making the essays quietly gorgeous and intellectually rich.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300246667

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 September 2019

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 156.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 363g

Pages: 360

About the Author

Francis Spufford is professor of creative writing at Goldsmiths College, University of London. He is the author of several highly praised books of nonfiction, and his novel Golden Hill won four literary prizes including the New York City Book Award of the New York Society Library. He lives in Ely, UK.

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