# Style: An Anti-textbook Author: [[Richard Lanham]] ## Review The author takes aim at the scientific attitude towards prose perpetuated by university writing courses: the writer should be themselves, write with clarity and have an unnoticeable style. He argues that this description of good prose is not necessarily wrong but that it is not helpful and that it can miss the point of style. Style provides the context through which we discuss concepts. It facilitates understanding. This is most visible with the existence of jargon, which he labels as a form of stylistic expression. Jargon can hardly be classified as speaking clearly to the outsider. But to the insider it has purpose. It conveys a concept more clearly by relating it to context and through familiarity. It also signals to the reader that, "yes you are an insider." Why else do scientific papers obscure clarity by sounding so scientific?! This self-congratulation, by recognizing style and being an insider, is another purpose of style highlighted by the author throughout the book: for enjoyment and pleasure. While the scientific attitude focuses on concepts as the object of attention, the author argues for stylistic self-awareness. For making style itself the object of attention. On this spectrum of self-awareness lies on one end a paper on scientific article on mathematics, and on the other poetry. But any piece of prose can be written to sit in the middle. The quality of style, therefore, can't be objectively determined because it depends on the situation between the reader, writer and context of discussion. ~ For someone like me, a terrible and inexperienced writer, this was not a good place to start learning how to write. Ironically, the book was probably leaning too far towards "stylistic self-awareness" for me to fully understand everything he is trying to say. Although I do appreciate his message, to make prose style more fun for the its own sake. In my experience I will understand something better, and stay engaged longer, if what I am reading is fun and grips my attention. So what do I take away from this? - There is a spectrum of stylistic self-awareness. - Make prose fun, for its own sake. - Style familiar to the context is helpful to readers ## Key Ideas ## Related