Saturday, May 06, 2006
Book Reviewing Explained For You
At the Times of London, Ben Macintyre explains the language of book reviewing, including:
There is, sadly, no literary equivalent to Roger Ebert's Little Movie Glossary -- no way that you can yell "Fruit cart!" at a book review -- but there really should be.
Wears its scholarship lightly -- Author is not a real scholar. But I am.
Triumphant return to form -- I was expecting this to be as abysmal as the last one, but it was only mildly disappointing.
Gnomic -- Baffling.
Imaginative Fiction -- reviewers use this to describe a book that they wish they had written; nonfiction reviewers use it to describe a book they do not believe.
Compelling -- I managed to finish it.
There is, sadly, no literary equivalent to Roger Ebert's Little Movie Glossary -- no way that you can yell "Fruit cart!" at a book review -- but there really should be.
