Oneworld, Ratgeber, Blurb Your Enthusiasm: An A-Z of Literary Persuasion (Englisch, Louise Willder, 2023)

A dazzling dictionary of book blurbs, filled with writing tips, literary folklore and publishing secrets A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A small masterpiece. There is something funny, notable or awe-inspiring on every single page&rsquo, Jenny Colgan, Spectator A joyful celebration of books –, the perfect gift for bibliophiles, word lovers and anyone who&rsquo,s ever wondered, should you judge a book by its cover? We love the words in books –, but what about the words on them? How do they work their magic? Here is a book about the ways books entice us to read them: their titles, quotes, covers and, above all, blurbs –, via authors from Jane Austen to Zadie Smith, writing tricks, classic literature, bonkbusters, plot spoilers and publishing secrets. It&rsquo,s nothing less than the inside story of the outside of books. And it answers questions like: - Why do some authors hate blurbs so much they burn their own books? - Should all adjectives be murdered? - Is blurbing sometimes maybe lying? - Is it true that (checks jacket) you need an animal on a book&rsquo,s cover to make it a bestseller? - What are the most terrible blurbs of all time? Join Penguin publishing word wizard Louise Willder –, five thousand blurbs written, mostly avoiding the phrase &lsquo,unputdownable tour-de-force&rsquo, –, to discover why we should judge a book by its cover. Even this one. (It&rsquo,s an unputdownable tour-de-force.) &lsquo,The bookiest book about books you&rsquo,ll ever read –, I loved it&rsquo, Lucy Mangan &lsquo,Truly delightful...I couldn&rsquo,t have had more fun&rsquo, Benjamin Dreyer &lsquo,Very funny, erudite and profound. A delight!&rsquo, Nina Stibbe.