"A real page turner" — possibly the most overused cliche in the history of book reviewing and blurbing. Much has been written about the efficacy and abuses of reviews and book jacket blurbs, such as these essays from Michelle Gagnon and Tess Gerritsen about blurbs, and David J. Montgomery's Crime Fiction Dossier (here and here) and the New York Times about reviews. One thing remaining, however, is that even the best reviewers can become so overwhelmed at times they resort to a few tried and true phrases.
So, here's your chance to weigh in: Which of the following cliched phrases gives you the nails-on-a-blackboard response when you encounter them in a print or online review/blurb?
Let's make an important point about blurbs and cliches. Anything offered by a low-profile reviewer, no matter how original, probably pales in marketing effect next to anything offered by a high-profile blurber (e.g. Stephen King claims that a no-name debut author's thriller is an absolute page-turner tour de force that pushes the envelope on gripping, unputdownable suspense). The name behind the blurb rather than the substance of the blurb turns the trick in marketing. Book buyers will overlook the trite diction and buy into the high-profile blurber's endorsement. It is that simple. In a related perspective, let me share this insight: excerpts from my reviews of hardcovers have appeared on paperback reprints, and I am not naive enough to believe that my diction or my originality makes the difference; it is the brand-name of the source where the review originally appeared that hooks the book buyer.
Posted by: R. T. | April 21, 2009 at 05:30 PM
Quite true, especially for blurbs. Reviews, I think, are a different matter, since very few celebrities review books. I think reading the same phrases and wording over and over can begin to lessen the impact of each review...
Posted by: BV Lawson | April 21, 2009 at 07:02 PM