Comparing S&W with Williams

The glaring difference between Strunk and White and Williams is the fact that Strunk and White give you succinct grammar rules, do’s and don’ts, whereas Williams focuses more on reasons why people may make mistakes in their writing and ways to avoid doing the same. Williams does touch on some specific rules, but not nearly as in depth or straight to the point as in Strunk and White. I definitely feel it’s more affective to give the reader some insight into why we tend to make mistakes. When we realize why we’re wrong, it’s much easier to break a bad habit than if we were simply told what we’re doing is incorrect with no explanation.
Williams, as a whole, is much easier to get into because there is some sense of “flow” and a much higher level of readability. Strunk and White has more of a reference book or manual feel, that doesn’t necessarily lend itself to being read cover to cover. That being said, while Williams maybe be easy to get into, it is probably a little more difficult of a read because everything isn’t just spelled out with numbers and bullet points. Clearly both texts have their pros and cons.
The titles of the two books alone hint at their differences before you even get to page one. When I hear the word ‘element’ I think of smaller pieces that make up one whole, and that’s exactly how Strunk and White formatted their book. The word ‘grace’ in the Williams title has its own connotation. It’s difficult to perform any activity gracefully before having some certain mastery of the topic and/or being given more applied guidelines or instructions. The Williams text expects that you have some previous knowledge and offers some insight into the short comings of other writers so that you can avoid making the same mistakes that could make your writing unclear, disjointed, etc.
The three elements I discussed from Strunk and White were: write in a way that comes naturally, do not affect a breezy manner and use orthodox spelling. All three of these elements are addressed in Williams, though often indirectly. I may have read over it, but I don’t recall Williams making reference to using orthodox spelling. Being a style book for the advanced writer though, I get a sense that it is implied. There is a thin line between not “affecting a breezy manner” and writing in a way that comes naturally, and I think it is addressed throughout each chapter in different ways. In the chapter on Elegance, Williams admits he can’t tell a writer how to be graceful and elegant the same way he can how to be clear and direct, but he can describe some devices such as balance vs. symmetry or emphasis vs. rhythm that will help. “Knowing the ingredients and knowing how to use them is the difference between reading cookbooks and cooking.” (153). To me this means that his suggestions are open to some interpretation and modification. Strunk and White offer vague explanations how to be natural/how not to be breezy, while Williams gives examples of what he considers elegant writing and how to get there.
It’s hard to say which text is the most effective overall is because I like the fact that I can go to Strunk and White for clarification on a rule and find an easy answer. However, I think re-reading Williams a time or two will actually help me become a better writer. I’ll take the easy way out and say give me both.