# How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers - Hardcover

by **Aristotle** (Author), **Philip Freeman** (Commentaries by), **Philip Freeman** (Translator)

**An inviting and highly readable new translation of Aristotle's complete _Poetics_\--the first and best introduction to the art of writing and understanding stories**

Aristotle's _Poetics_ is the most important book ever written for writers and readers of stories--whether novels, short fiction, plays, screenplays, or nonfiction. Aristotle was the first to identify the keys to plot, character, audience perception, tragic pleasure, and dozens of other critical points of good storytelling. Despite being written more than 2,000 years ago, the _Poetics_ remains essential reading for anyone who wants to learn how to write a captivating story--or understand how such stories work and achieve their psychological effects. Yet for all its influence, the _Poetics_ is too little read because it comes down to us in a form that is often difficult to follow, and even the best translations are geared more to specialists than to general readers who simply want to grasp Aristotle's profound and practical insights. In _How to Tell a Story_, Philip Freeman presents the most readable translation of the _Poetics_ yet produced, making this indispensable handbook more accessible, engaging, and useful than ever before.

In addition to its inviting and reliable translation, a commentary on each section, and the original Greek on facing pages, this edition of the _Poetics_ features unique bullet points, chapter headings, and section numbers to help guide readers through Aristotle's unmatched introduction to the art of writing and reading stories.

### Author Biography

**Philip Freeman** is the author of more than twenty books on the ancient world, including the Cicero translations _How to Think about God_, _How to Be a Friend_, _How to Grow Old,_ and _How to Run a Country_ (all Princeton). He holds the Fletcher Jones Chair in Humanities at Pepperdine University.

**Number of Pages:** 264

**Dimensions:** 1.1 x 6.8 x 4.7 IN

**Publication Date:** May 10, 2022

## Details

- **Price:** 18.95 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 18.95 USD | In stock |

## Images

- How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers - Hardcover

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