How to Draw a Novel is an interesting monograph on narrative and craft by Martín Solares. Originally published in 2014 as Como dibujar una novela, this English language translation was published by Grove Atlantic and released 12th Dec. 2023. It's 224 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a writer's mind view of the landscape of writing, with graphic and spatial comparisons for mapping out the shape of a novel. It's probably more useful for writers who are honing their craft, but a bit more surprisingly, he speaks eloquently and very well about literature in general, drawing examples from a huge number of Latin American (and not mainstream for primarily English language readers). This is a great way to find new authors and works outside the English mainstream to follow and read.

The translation work seems to be unobtrusive and the scansion and flow of the writing is fine in English. It's a technical work, but readable and accessible to the average layman.

Four stars. This would be a good choice for public or post-secondary school library acquisition, for the writer's (or would-be writer's) reference shelf, and for readers who are looking to expand their literature horizons. It could also be useful for writer and critique groups as a reference.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

How to Draw a Novel is a translated work, with the author being Latino and therefore incorporating more novels and stories by authors of color. I enjoyed the premise of this book--essentially mapping out a novel based on how it moves through a story--but I found the execution left me wanting. When the description mentioned it was a series of essays, I was hoping for more insight and commentary rather than excerpts (sometimes very long, sometimes mostly summarized by the author) from novels. I did enjoy, also, the author's approach of: "A novel is art, and if you don't want to follow a set formula, you don't have to. Here are examples of authors who didn't, and what their novels look like."

Overall, there was maybe a couple pages worth of material that I found useful here. If you're a visual learner, or like to think of the books you read or the projects you're working on in the abstract, I think this would be really useful. In the end, this book wasn't what I thought it was going to be based on the description, and that's why I rated it three stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Grove Press for giving me advanced reader access in exchange for an honest review. This title publishes tomorrow, December 12, 2023.

How to Draw a Novel by Martin Solares is a gem of a writing craft book. Many books today on the craft of writing promote a formulaic structure to achieve an entertaining novel. Solares presents us with the thesis that a novel is art - and art is not formulaic. Solares gives us a collection of essays focused on different elements of novel writing - from structure to prose to editing. All of these essays are tied together with thoughtful voice and the sense of wonder and awe Solares has for the novel as a medium and how the masters have sculpted words into magnificent stories. I really appreciated Solares's distinct and personable voice - a major feat in a craft book. It felt less like a crash course on how to write a novel and more like a chat with an old author friend sharing his thoughts on the craft. As someone embarrassingly unfamiliar with Spanish literature, the examples Solares pulled from were presented and utilized in ways that prior knowledge was unnecessary but certainly added to the reading experience. I gathered a list of many titles I want to read simply from the reverence in which Solares examines them.

This is a craft book that is meant to be studied and highlighted and reread. I cannot recommend it enough to writers and authors looking to expand their skills and be creative with the medium of language.

this book is immensely helpful. Without the over-simplification that many other writing books can fall into, this book keeps the matters relating to writing a novel at their appropriate level of depth while numerus examples make the ideas more understandable. I learned a lot from the section of various ways to begin a novel, also on the sections about time is handled in fiction. I was delighted that there were many examples from writers all around the world, particularly south and central American novelists. This is refreshing as the usual examples cited in some other books tend to exclude the writing of people of color.

How to Draw a Novel by Martin Solares is a collection of poetic and evocative writings on one of the most modern narrative arts—the novel. He uses visual representations that can convey how a novel is structured and the crests and troughs in the narration. This book can enhance the reader's affection for novels, improve their understanding of them, and alter the novel reading experience to a better one.

Very interesting book but difficult to understand the flow. The concept of drawing what emotions you feel after reading a novel was amazing and I will definitely try it.

I’ve never read a book about writing like this before. Solares intersperses discussions on writing and literary criticism with diagrams of numerous novels. His diagrams are fun and fascinating to think about, leaving the reader’s pen itching to draw one of their own. I appreciate the diversity of writers and texts referenced in this book, as well as the beautiful writing. There’s so much packed into this short book.

If you’re looking to pick up a book about writing or the form of the novel generally, I’d recommend this one!

The point of this book is to "diagram" novels by drawing squiggly lines. I found the first part of the book interesting, and it gave me food for thought in drafting my own short stories and novels. However, after about half way through the book, the idea of diagraming novels grew stale.

This book had many, many references to a host of novels by a wide variety of authors. Many of them were familiar to me; many were not. Many of the novels I had read too many years ago to be able to recall them. This created a challenge in following the author's points in discussing the structure of the particular novels.

This book might be better for a literature class than a "how to" book for writers.

This was a really interesting concept and I love his narrative voice, but it didn't feel like something that needed to be book-length. It would have felt more apt as an essay.

Solares begins by outlining his theory on "drawing" novels -- visualizing the physical shape that they would take, kind of in a plot-triangle way but more individual. Some stories are a straight line, some spiral, some disconnected bubbles, etc. I enjoyed the examples he provided, but it felt like far more unnecessary breadth than depth.

The one thing I did love about this book was the look at how shape has differed traditionally across cultures. With the amount of examples from Lat-Am lit that he uses, I feel like this is also a great introduction to Spanish language literature.

"How to Draw a Novel" by Martín Solares is a captivating and visually engaging exploration of the art of storytelling. Solares, an acclaimed author and former publisher, delves into the intricate craft of novel writing, offering a unique perspective on narrative structure and character development.

This collection of essays is a treasure trove for both aspiring writers and avid readers. Solares dissects the novel, breaking it down into its fundamental components, and provides insightful commentary on each element. He discusses the importance of structure, likening the novel to a house that must be constructed brick by brick. Through his elegant prose and visual aids, including line drawings that beautifully illustrate his points, Solares brings to life the intricate architecture of storytelling.

One of the standout features of this book is Solares' ability to transcend the boundaries of the Anglo-American literary canon. He expands his analysis to encompass works from Latin and South America, offering a broader perspective on the art of the novel. His passion for literature and storytelling shines through in every essay.

Solares explores various aspects of novel writing, such as character creation and the role of place in storytelling. He also highlights the diverse forms that novels can take, demonstrating the boundless creativity that authors can bring to their work. Throughout the book, Solares's insights are both profound and accessible, making this a valuable resource for anyone interested in the craft of fiction.

In "How to Draw a Novel," Martín Solares invites readers into the creative process of storytelling, guiding them through the intricate web of words and ideas that form the foundation of every great novel. This book is a celebration of the art of writing, and Solares's passion for the subject is infectious. It's a must-read for writers seeking inspiration and readers looking to deepen their appreciation for the magic of storytelling.

This was a whimsical book with many passages from some of the greatest books. The author has done his research well. I especially liked how he drew different novels. A solid 3.5 stars for this one.

A beautiful contemplation of the novel as an art form. A book that illustrates novels to explain their narratives, and thanks Junot Díaz for his friendship in the Acknowledgements. It breaks down the elements of novels and uses our most beloved books to demonstrate its meaning. I will refer to my notes and highlights in this book while writing for years.

I found the description of this book really misleading as to the content. I was expecting a different type of craft book,

Solares writes so beautifully about the experience of reading novels and about the artform in general. As a lifelong writer and reader, the text felt jam-packed with inspiring quotes and insights. Solares’ observations are clever and his drawings of various novels are whimsical, fun, and thought-provoking. This collection of essays was, overall, delightful. Any person who enjoys reading novels and wants to dig deeper into the “why”s and “how”s will find plenty of passages to cozy-up into. I was personally amazed that the author managed to convince me to read some classic books I’ve been avoiding for fear of sheer boredom. The way he described Moby Dick, for example, was so captivating. I may need to try it out! Overall, I found the quality of the writing in this book to be top-tier, 5-star worthy. The reason why I feel a four-star rating is more appropriate is simply due to the disheartened feeling I got, about mid-way through, when I realized that most of his in-depth analyses and quotes were focused on the works of male authors. Though he spends some time acknowledging the masterful works of writers like Patricia Highsmith and Toni Morrison, I felt the universe of the female writer was largely overlooked. That is the only downfall I really noticed in a book that, overall, I really enjoyed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher!

This is a fascinating book and I need to reread it a few times. It's really a much better approach to breaking down novel writing than most modern books in the genre and I love that it showcases how different writers have different approaches (for instance, how much one writes per day or how long one takes to finish a book). It's refreshing and begs to be read slowly, reread, and annotated.

This was a fun, different, unexpected away to view novel writing. To consider books I've read. While I'm not entirely sure as an author I will actively use this, it was a great way to think about books. It would be an excellent discussion point in a writing class.

In "How to Draw a Novel", Mexican writer and literary theorist Martín Solares has written a thoughtful and engaging book on the structure of the novel. As the name implies this book does explore and develop techniques to depict the course of novels through simple single line doodles.. However, this book also includes a much deeper and comprehensive approach to the study of the novel. In fact, Solares has created a text that examines multiple techniques and methods for creating the elements of a novel. This book should be accessible for writers and students of literature irregardless of their experience. Although the author does reference various literary theories and methods the book does not require the reader to posses a grounding in literary theory or criticism. The accessibility of this book is also enhanced by the fact that Solares covers multiple genres, including some associated with popular fiction, and cites examples from a wide range of authors writing in multiple languages.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Grove Atlantic for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review

I enjoyed the first few chapters. The rest of the book requires the reader to be up to date on their literature. Having said that, I did enjoy the variety of drawings mapping out the various book.

With 'How to Draw a Novel' we explore story structure, and how a novel is a mesh of critical elements that work together without following an orthodox pattern. This book is unique and establishes itself as a must-read for writers.

How to Draw a Novel by Martin Solares is a method for reading novels to writing them based on a pattern. I have to say that I'm not sure how I will apply these principles in my own writing but believe that there's something to learn from every craft book. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.