In this book, the stories are important, but they are not the essence. The essence is how Saunders uses them to explain different aspects of writing. I loved feeling like I was sitting in his classroom, the way he narrates is as if he were speaking in front of you.

As a writer, I took my time to write down various tips and realities that the author detailed when referring to writing a story, developing a character, using elements around them to tell a story, among so many ways to explore with writing.

The interesting thing about this whole book is how despite the difference in centuries, we can still adapt styles from the past to our writing today. How human experience is still the main point when creating a story and transmitting it to readers to generate emotions, reactions, reflections and questions.

I recommend this book to every writer who wants a perspective through Russian literature on writing styles.