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Wonderworks: The 25 Most Powerful Inventions in the History of Literature
Maybe someday
49
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
52/100Critics
4/100Scholars
90/100Author:
Angus Fletcher
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster
Date:
March 9, 2021
An examination of literary invention through the ages, from ancient Mesopotamia to Elena Ferrante, showing how writers created technical breakthroughs as sophisticated and significant as any in science, and in the process, engineered enhancements to the human heart and mind.
What The Reviewers Say
Wonderworks is a cornucopia of insufferable-but-profitable intellectual and publishing trends, a survey that grinds down centuries of art into the stuff of dietary supplements and serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
As Fletcher tells us, asking and answering such queries is not why writers write or readers read. Literature isn’t an argument; rather, it’s a technology designed to improve our lives. Literature generates sensations that readers need to experience, things like love, courage, empathy, and serenity. Literature can help us overcome stress, connect with our fellow humans, and find joy.
The table of contents alone inspires a certain kind of wonder, bordering on incredulity.
The author skillfully draws attention to a number of inventions from global contexts and language backgrounds.
