Why you should ignore the superlatives on book jackets

Cover blurbs aren't reviews, they're advertisements that offer no space for balanced, nuanced positivityRecently I was at a literature festival, being interviewed by a man who hadn't had the chance to read my novel. It was fine. These things happen and we muddle through.Unable to draw upon the themes of the work my kindly interviewer took to reading from the cover, attempting to bolster audience appreciation of me by quoting what someone else thought of my writing. He landed on a quote by the author Joe Dunthorne: "Terrific," Joe had said. "Engaging, funny and inventive." My interviewer grinned and asked how such a comment made me feel? Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]

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