- Blurb -
It' s good to judge a book by its cover. Drawing on her 25 years writing blurbs for Penguin books, Louise Willder explores the art, anecdote and history of the words that only take a few seconds to read but can determine a book' s fate. This illuminating and joyful compendium is about blurbs at their very best and worst. It is also about cover design, movie taglines, adverts, quotes, puns, the creative process, writers from Austen to Orwell and much more. It answers questions such as: Why should adjectives generally be murdered? Which author hated blurbs? Is it ever okay to give away the ending? Why should you never start a blurb with ' When' ? Can blurbs be sexist? The story of blurbs is the story of our needs and desires as readers; about who we are and want to be.
- Reviews -
' A small masterpiece. There is something funny, notable or awe-inspiring on every single page. Some books simply slide into your life like good-humoured old friends. This is undoubtedly one of them. ' -- Jenny Colgan * Spectator * ' Truly delightful. . . charming and gracefully learned. . . Louise Willder, a copywriter with decades of experience, brings so much joy and, indeed, enthusiasm to her book about books that anyone who revels in reading will find real enchantment here. I couldn' t have had more fun. ' -- Benjamin Dreyer, author of the New York Times bestseller Dreyer' s English ' The bookiest book about books you' ll ever read - I loved it. ' -- Lucy Mangan, author of Bookworm ' A little marvel. . . consummately brilliant' * Daily Mail * ' Very funny, erudite and profound. A delight!' -- Nina Stibbe ' I love this book' s sheer happiness and humanity. It is rich, wise and soul-awaking, exhilarating-like-the-snowman-flying-through-the-air-of-human-gloriousness. And, God, she' s funny. Buy it, read it, give it. ' -- Martin Latham, author of The Bookseller' s Tale ' This total gem is an illuminating, dazzling, quirky, fascinating, erudite, thought-provoking, hilarious and totally essential celebration of the outside of books. Willder is my new style icon. ' -- Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller, Editor' s Choice ' This book is ace! A must-read for any and every writer or book-obsessed person!' -- Sophie Hannah ' Jammed with funny, curious and stylish thoughts and insights, Blurb Your Enthusiasm will be loved by absolutely everybody with an obsessive interest in books and their appearance. ' -- Simon Winder, author of Germania ' For anyone who needs or wants to use words persuasively, this is the most enjoyable masterclass you' ll ever read. ' -- Rob Williams, screenwriter of Killing Eve and The Victim ' Uproarious, gossipy and utterly fascinating: a masterclass in how to judge a book by its cover. It makes words seem weird and wild again. ' -- Henry Eliot, author of The Penguin Classics Book ' Louise Willder' s witty guide Blurb Your Enthusiasm is a treat for insiders and book-world fans. . . Wilder celebrates the practice of turning literature into a catchy product that both illuminates people about a book and retains the book' s mystique. ' -- Foreword Reviews
- Author Bio -
Louise Willder has been a copywriter at Penguin Books for twenty-five years. During this time, she estimates she has produced about 5,000 blurbs. She doesn' t follow people round bookshops, willing them to buy books she' s written the copy for. Really, she doesn' t.
- Full Details -
Status: | Active |
ISBN-13: | 9780861542178 |
Published: | 1 Sep 2022 |
Published In: | United Kingdom |
Imprint: | Oneworld Publications |
Publisher: | Oneworld Publications |
Format: | Hardback |
Height: | 198mm |
Width: | 129mm |
Spine: | 30mm |
Pages: | 352 |
- Delivery ETA -
In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.
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