James Wood describes with style and precision the magical process by which fiction lights up our minds. Wood ranges widely, from Homer to Make Way for Ducklings, The Bible to John le Carré, and his book is both a study of the techniques of fiction-making and an alternative history of the novel. Playful and profound, How Fiction Works will be a revelation to writers, readers, and anyone interested in the magic of a written story.

"Enchanting . . . should delight and enlighten practicing novelists, would-be novelists, and all passionate readers of fiction."--The Economist

"A delight . . . the pleasure in this book lies in watching Wood read."--Time

"An articulate reminder of the framework that is essential to constructing a lasting work of the imagination."--The Miami Herald

"Wood is among the few contemporary writers of great consequence. . . . Reading Wood, no matter the book under review, provides enormous pleasure."--Los Angeles Times

"A perceptive and graceful essay which almost anybody who's interested in books could read . . . Well worth reading."--The Sunday Times (UK)

JAMES WOOD is a staff writer at The New Yorker and a visiting lecturer at Harvard. He is the author of two essay collections, The Broken Estate and The Irresponsible Self, and a novel, The Book Against God.