Aristotle's Poetics had been on my to-read list for a couple of years, ever since devouring The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand in college. Rand adored Aristotle in large part for his views on art, one of which was that art is more important than history because while history records what men have done, art shows men what might be and ought to be.
I have to admit, I was a little wary of starting it, because I've been told by friends that Aristotle is 'dense' and 'difficult.' I think they were referring more to his Nicomachean Ethics. Poetics is short; about 70 pages, though very concise for all the topics he explores: the role of art in a person's life, the differences between epic poems (Homer) and tragedies (plays like those of Sophocles), the ingredients for good plot, the exact nature of plot, and even predictions for where the written arts in Aristotle's view should move toward. There's a lot of great leads for creative fiction writers, and discerning readers.
*Side note, there is a terrific movie about Aristotle's impact on the West. It's called The Name of the Rose, in which a Franciscan monk (played by Sean Connery) seeks to solve a murder case by using inductive and deductive logic, while battling against the Catholic priests' more Plato-influenced approach. (Plato was Aristotle's mentor, and their philosophies are in many ways the opposite of one another). If you like historical fictions with a splash of romance, Rose is terrific. {JG}
*Side note, there is a terrific movie about Aristotle's impact on the West. It's called The Name of the Rose, in which a Franciscan monk (played by Sean Connery) seeks to solve a murder case by using inductive and deductive logic, while battling against the Catholic priests' more Plato-influenced approach. (Plato was Aristotle's mentor, and their philosophies are in many ways the opposite of one another). If you like historical fictions with a splash of romance, Rose is terrific. {JG}
