I have already espoused my love of James Wood but I was recently re-invigorated by (as usual) the New Yorker OutLoud podcast; I had been saving two juicy James Wood episodes on Elena Ferrante and Hilary Mantel that I finally got around to listening to, and they were as good as ever. If you have even an inkling of interest in either of those two writers, I recommend listening, and even if you don't, I recommend James Wood's 'How Fiction Works' which is essential reading for anyone who reads (see what I did there?). Wood is the ultimate literary critic in that he can simultaneously establish his expertise while he very deftly teaches the reader and the non-expert how to see what he sees in an author's work, and he does so with his own distinctly brilliant prose. He has the authority to tell you how fiction works because he writes as well as he reads. I assure you this volume will not feel like homework, but will instead only serve to enhance your appreciation for the books you already enjoy.