Ways of the Word

"It seems painfully obvious to note that novels are composed one word at a time. Yet very few works of literary theory or criticism explore how words actually work in a literary context, how (some) writers effectively employ and deploy words (and the syllables that comprise them) to achieve stylistic effects that can heighten, distract from, make memorable, enliven, or deepen the experience of reading. Distinct from plot, theme, or character, the ways of the word are multiple, deviant, and convergent by turns, and in this book, Garrett Stewart charts some of these ways across dozens of works by authors classic to contemporary, in poetry as well as prose."--