The Elements of Style
Score Classic
What it's about
William Strunk Jr. wrote this little style guide for his Cornell students in 1918, and his former student E. B. White later revised and expanded it. It offers short, practical rules for clear, plain English: omit needless words, use the active voice, put statements in positive form. It's meant to make anyone's writing sharper.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library's, TIME's and the Guardian's lists of the best nonfiction ever written, and it has guided generations of writers. Few books so short have had so much influence.
You'll love it if you liked
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, A Room of One's Own or Mrs. Dalloway
Good to know
You can read it in an afternoon and keep it on your desk for years. Some of its rules are debated today, but its core advice holds up.
Quick answers
Is The Elements of Style worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library's, TIME's and the Guardian's lists of the best nonfiction ever written, and it has guided generations of writers. It ranks #134 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 85.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Elements of Style about?
William Strunk Jr. wrote this little style guide for his Cornell students in 1918, and his former student E. B. White later revised and expanded it. It offers short, practical rules for clear, plain English: omit needless words, use the active voice, put statements in positive form. It's meant to make anyone's writing sharper.
How long does it take to read The Elements of Style?
About 4 hours (178 pages), or about 8 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Elements of Style?
If you liked it, try On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf or Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.
By the numbers
- Readers79 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics92 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller26 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On 3 canon lists, including Modern Library 100 Best Nonfiction.
Where it ranks
On the lists
- Modern Library 100 Best Nonfiction
- TIME All-TIME 100 Nonfiction
- Guardian 100 Best Nonfiction Books of All Time
Reads as
Thought-provoking
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