From blurbese to reviewerese and back again
The book world has a language all of its own, writes Tom Payne in this very amusing Telegraph piece about the words and phrases unique to that language. Payne even compiles a long list of book reviewers’ clichés, many of them having made the leap from the land of back-cover blurbs. Examples include “emotional rollercoaster,” “heady mix,” and “minor quibbles.” But Payne’s list isn’t quite complete: where are “hard-won truths” and “secrets of the human heart”? Readers are invited to post their own favourite bookchat clichés below — just click on the Add Comment link.
Related links:
Tom Payne on the language of book reviewing
