A wonderful way to see literature! I learnt a lot of things and will probably buy a physical copy of it to dive back whenever needed!

I never thought of literature through its inventions and its inventors, so it was really an innovative read for me; plus it made my wish-list explode with new books, and made others, which were already there, climb to the top of my TBR!
It was a slow read, as there were many informations to process; but it didn't spoil the moments I spent with it!

I recommend it to both people who already love literature and those who like to see things has "invented"!

Dense, but fascinating! I felt like I learned something new with every sentence I read. I now have a much more scientific appreciation for reading, and I know more about the historical context of it as well.

Wonderworks is a thorough study of world literature, from mythology, Homer, and Sappho to contemporary literature. Fletcher introduces us to individual developments in literature as inventions. He examines each one and its psychological effects on people.

This book is an excellent choice for all who love literature and like to dissect classics and contemporary literary works.

This is a fascinating book - wow. But not an easy read - it is long and dense, but it is a mind-blowing book that is worth the time investment! The author told a captivating tale in the Introduction of the first known inventor of literature - a woman. From there the book examines innovations in literature throughout history help us cope with and process life's difficulties and so much more.

#Wonderworks by # Angus Fletcher is fascinating. An examination of literary inventions, from ancient Mesopotamia to Elena Ferrante. It reviews the blueprints for twenty-five of the most significant developments in the history of literature.
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, # Angus Fletcher, and # Simon & Schuster 💜🐾🐾

Scientific Viewpoints…
An account of the most pleasing and powerful literary inventions through the ages. Encyclopaedic in format so the reader can dip in and out to their hearts content. However, the book itself is scientific in its very basic form and perhaps this alone goes against the very nature of literature. Thought provoking.

Wonderworks dissects great works of literature, identifying 25 great "inventions" or technical breakthroughs that changed the literary game. I love this concept, as I'm a big fan of books about books. It took me a while to read this one - it's more academic than I had bargained for! But I enjoyed the way Fletcher analyzed various works and discussed the psychology behind them. This could be a great gift for your favorite erudite booklover.

One criticism I have of the book is the length - the chapters get a little long. This especially bothered me in the early chapters, as the book is loosely chronologically based, so the early chapters discuss early literature I wasn't as familiar with. I'd recommend looking at the table of contents and skipping around as you see fit - and not being afraid to skim if the content is less interesting to you. I did really enjoy the last 8 chapters, since I knew more about the literature being discussed. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book might not be a fit for my library, but I've added it to my personal collection as well as gifted it to other librarians and bookish friends. It is a title that I wanted to devour, but ended up taking tiny bites to savor and make it last longer. For any bookish friend, it is both rewarding and informative. A masterpiece!

This book was incredibly bad, yet at the same time, insanely pretentious. One of the few non-fiction books I just couldn’t force myself to finish.

An absolutely phenomenal read. The type of book I wish I had assigned to me in high school or college. Filled to the brim with valuable literary insight and guidance. A Masterclass in arts and literature. Wonderworks is a psychological analysis of the mechanisms used throughout all literature, past and present, and their implications on theater, the mind, humanity, and more. Explore how Greek theater used movement on the stage to create a sense of calm within the viewer, how the first record of written literature was by a female noblewoman, and many other powerful insights into what makes literature so wonderful.

“It was barely sunrise. Yet even in the faint, rose-fingered light, there could be no doubt: the invention was a marvel. It could mend cracks in the heart and resurrect hope from the dark. It could summon up raptures and impossible days. It could chase away dullness and unlatch the sky. The invention was literature. And to catch its marvel for ourselves, let’s return to that dawn. Let’s learn the story of why literature was invented. And all the things it was invented to do.”

Angus Fletcher explains twenty five ‘inventions’ that underpin the appeal of literature in Wonderworks.

Stories have many purposes and Fletcher proposes thot these have evolved over time as authors have discovered techniques, from the plot twist to the happy ever after ending, for eliciting specific emotions and reactions from their audience. The emerging field of story science explains how different types of narratives, from thrillers to satire, have been proven to stimulate different areas of our brain and have the ability to affect our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviour. Stories can not only educate, they can also encourage the development of empathy, alleviate depression, inspire creativity, and improve self-awareness.

In each chapter of Wonderworks, Fletcher examines a invention of literature, relating its history, and often that of its ‘inventor’, provides examples, and explores how and why the technique resonates with us as revealed by modern neuroscience. I thought Fletcher offered some astute insights, though much confirms what avid readers instinctively know about the power of all types of fiction has to enrich our lives.

“For whatever the power of truth may be, literature’s own special power has always lain in fiction, that wonder we construct. It is the invention that unbreaks the heart. And brings us into hope, and peace, and love.”

There is, as necessary, some jargon to contend with but Fletcher embraces the style of nonfiction narrative so Wonderworks is rarely dry. It can be dense however and, in my opinion, occasionally veers into the pretentious, so I found it difficult to read in one sitting. I think enthusiasm for Wonderworks will be higher among those interested in literary analysis and study, students of psychology, philosophers, and writers looking to hone their craft, but it does have value for the simply curious.

Wonderworks provides a way to understand literature that moves beyond its construction and practicalities. It’s an interesting and thought-provoking study of narrative and the significance of fiction to both individuals and society.

The cover is absolutely stunning and the Introduction is very interesting, the book in itself is a real tour de force through literature. Definitely recommended!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the chance to read an early copy of this book.

WONDERWORKS is an unusual, thought-provoking book. It mixes history, literature, and neuroscience to create essentially a self-help book where the cure for what ails you is a certain element of literature. And "literature" is defined quite broadly as anything that tells a story and inspires emotion, so along the way we get recommendations for TV like THE TWILIGHT ZONE, FLEABAG, and 30 ROCK alongside more typical literary recommendations like Shakespeare, Austen, and Poe.

The body of the book reviews 25 literary "inventions" that have emotional effects, from anger to gratitude to healing from grief. We start out with a vignette of the "inventor," reviewing the history, the invention, the neuroscience of the emotion, and closing out with how you can try it yourself with other books, including recommendations.

While the book is written accessibly to a general audience, I would still recommend reading this only a chapter or two at a time because it is so packed with ideas that there is almost an inverse relationship where the more you read in one sitting the less you'll be able to absorb. I will say that I was skeptical at times of how strongly the arguments were made about this author being the very first to do something, and to be deliberately writing it for this intended effect--but I don't begrudge the author his crafting of a narrative, because narrative and story is what this is all about. And while I don't think that every person is guaranteed to have the same reaction to the same story, I do tend to agree to the logic behind the certain elements.

I read a lot of genre fiction and almost always consume stories for their emotional effect, so I appreciated this ode to the power of literature to make us feel things. I also liked how wide-ranging the historical and geographical scope was--though many of the examples were European or American, we also visit Egypt, Mali, China, and Colombia along the way, throughout history from the oral tradition and ancient Greek plays to THE GODFATHER and Alison Bechdel's graphic novel FUN HOME. The questions and ideas raised by this book are wonderful food for thought, and I already know I'll be buying a copy for my father, who shares my interests in literature, history, and psychology.

Wonderworks has a unique concept. Let’s look across time and place to find twenty-five literary tools that most impact writing today. Then, show how they began to be used and how they continue to be used today in both books and film. Finally, how you can use the technique in your own writing or even to solve your personal problems. Some of the tools power modern romance and thriller books. Others may be in any genre of book. Some examples are joy, wonder and satire.

It took me a couple of chapters to understand what the author was really “selling”. At first, I thought Wonderworks was literary critique or a lesson in how to critique. But eventually I realized that this book is an invaluable tool for both emerging and established authors. Who can’t stand to learn some new tools, after all? I highly recommend this book. It is chockful of interesting facts. I’m sure I will be rereading it soon. 5 stars and a favorite!

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

We read books and take many literary breakthroughs for granted. Literature is powerful and the invention of "story science" important to our understanding as bibliophiles. If you've wondered who invented a particular technique/device such as plot, irony, parody, comedy and satire as I have, this comprehensive book has your name written all over it. This is all about how literature works from the beginning of time to the present in 25 literary breakthroughs.

From the cuneiform of Ur, Biblical parables and Greek poetry to Shakespearean plays and Mary Shelley's horror to Wagner's opera, we learn why literature was invented and how. Stories and writing needed to have a beginning and an end, solve problems, instruct and give enjoyment. Basically, humans needed to learn what literature does. To the Greeks it was "soul lifting" and caused wonder. It has always been a cure for loneliness and still is today.

The author describes the literary inventions of plot twists, catharsis, narrators, irony, allegory, hope, romance, deduction, failures and stream of consciousness, all with examples such as Chaucer, Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding, Jane Austen, George Eliot and Virginia Woolf.

Bibliophiles with an academic side should read this marvelously unique book. It answered many of my questions and also left me with more! I learned a lot of interesting information. It caused me to really see things from a different perspective.

My sincere thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the privilege of reading an early copy of this amazing book. Wonderworks is wonder full!

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this book.

Angus Fletcher in Wonderworks: The 25 Most Powerful Inventions in the History of Literature has created a Way Things Work for fiction readers and writers. In 25 chapters Mr. Fletcher travels from the first stories told in caves to the present day showing, comparing and contracting how literature works, and why its messages, when done right, can be so compelling. Mr. Fletcher explains why our brains feel the way they do after certain passages, using neurological research and examples from various authors.

The book is a lot to take in. I recommend reading a chapter or two a day and to contemplate what Mr. Fletcher discusses, sort of like going back to school for lectures, only fun. One of the better books I've read on reading that I have read. A great graduation gift for the readers you know, or those you wish to encourage.

So, if you think that ancient literature needs to seem to have anticipated the discoveries of contemporary brain science to be of enduring worth, you'll LOVE this book, and otherwise you'll find it unintentionally amusing.

I found the description (and the cover!) of this book intriguing, but when it came down to it, I found the content a little too academic to really get into. I did finish it, but it felt more like an assignment than pleasure.

I was intrigued by the idea of "literary" inventions.

Angus Fletcher has studied and dissected how the psychological impact of literature, and what literature does to achieve that impact.

It's what first drew me to books. As a girl, I recognized how books widened my knowledge and understanding, but mostly I was impressed by how they could make me FEEL. Books could make me cry. Make me laugh. Cause all kinds of ideas to spark in my head. I was awed by that power.

In Wonderworks, Fletcher takes readers on a historical tour of the great moments in literature, showing the advances in literary tools and how the human brain reacts to cause emotional responses that can heal and enlarge our individual lives.

I have never read anything like it.

Fletcher's vast knowledge shines as he leads us through his thinking, from one literary achievement to another, showing the development of each "invention". He then parses the reactive brain chemistry that causes the reader's reactions.

I enjoyed reading the book one invention at a time. Some inventions were easy to grasp; others took effort. I was familiar with much of the literature used as examples, but was happy to encounter new ones. Like the ancient papyrus text The Wisdom of Ptahhotep, which advises "For as long as you life, follow your heart." At the chapter's end, Fletcher includes books and movies that offer the same psychic value as the literature he has discussed.

This is a radical, innovative way of looking at literature. It is provoking.

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

This book may be more interesting for those who are familiar with the classics. Because I am not, I found it rather hard going for me. I would have preferred a much lighter narrative.

I was also not convinced about literature being a technlogy or an invention, both of which were the author's stances.